The former vice-chair of Halifax Pride is facing fraud and theft-related charges after being accused of taking funds from the organization and depositing them into his own bank account.
Halifax Regional Police received a complaint on Sept. 24, 2013 that a volunteer with Halifax Pride was misappropriating funds from the non-profit organization.
The complainant accused Christopher Daniel J. Scullino of taking money from the organization and depositing it into his personal bank account
During the investigation, police determined the Halifax Pride Committee had been defrauded of over $16,000.
An arrest warrant was issued on May 2, 2014 for 30-year-old Scullino, who had left the province. Scullino was vice-chair of Halifax Pride when the money is alleged to have disappeared.
Members of the Halifax Regional Police and RCMP Integrated High Risk Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) travelled to Brockville, Ont. and arrested Scullino on Wednesday.
Members of the Halifax Pride committee say they are happy to hear of the arrest.
“I think now, we need to let the processes take place and we’ll move on,” says Halifax Pride board member Ellen Davis. “We’ve addressed in our organization the policies and procedures that we need to strengthen. We’ve worked to really ensure that we have accountability and transparency in all our financial processes as of right now”
Davis says the committee has also hired an external book keeper to manage their accounts and financial assets.
“And we have improved monitoring deposits into the Halifax Pride bank account,” adds Davis.
Scullino is due to appear in Halifax Provincial Court on Fridaymorning to face charges of fraud over $5,000, theft over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Matt Woodman
