Karima Manji gets 3 years in prison in Inuit identity fraud case
Crime an ‘egregious example of exploitation of Indigenous Peoples,’ judge says
Karima Manji arrives at the Iqaluit courthouse in custody Thursday morning. She was sentenced to three years in prison for fraud in an Inuit identity theft case. (Photo by Arty Sarkisian)
Karima Manji will spend nearly three years in a federal prison for fraud she committed by acquiring Inuit beneficiary status for her twin daughters, who are not Inuit.
Justice Mia Manocchio imposed a 36-month sentence Thursday morning in an Iqaluit courtroom.
The sentencing marked the end of a case that drew international attention and “must serve as a signal to any future Indigenous pretender,” said Manocchio while delivering her sentence.
“Fraudsters pay attention to what happens to other fraudsters, and they are deterred from such activity when a significant jail time is imposed.”
Last September, Nunavut RCMP charged Manji, 59, and her twin daughters, Amira and Nadya Gill, who are both 25 years old, with two counts of fraud each. The Crown withdrew the charges against Amira and Nadya when Manji pleaded guilty in February to fraud over $5,000.
On Monday, when the sentencing hearing began, the Crown argued for jail time between 18 and 24 months, while the defence suggested a conditional sentence of the same length — which would have allowed Manji to live at home
It’s not a simple “white collar economic crime,” Manocchio said. “Miss Manji’s moral culpability is at its highest level.”
“It sends a message,” said Manji’s lawyer, Scott Cowan, of Manocchio’s decision to exceed both lawyers’ suggestions in her sentence
Manji had spent three nights in jail awaiting sentencing after Manocchio revoked her bail on Monday, saying she saw no point in “delaying the inevitable.”
In 2016, Manji submitted an application to Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. on behalf of Nadya and Amira.
NTI is the organization that ensures the Nunavut Agreement is followed. It also maintains the Inuit Enrolment List.
In the forms, Manji identified the twins as biological daughters of Kitty Noah, an Inuit woman who lived in Iqaluit. She claimed she adopted the Gills from Kitty.
With their NTI beneficiary cards, the twins received $158,254.05 in scholarships from the Kakivak Association, which provides funding to Baffin Inuit, and Qikiqtani Inuit Association.
With this support, the twins paid for their education at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont
Manji has already paid back $130,000 of the money her daughters obtained, and is ordered to pay $28,254.05 more in restitution to Kakivak Association.
Manocchio said that even though NTI is an “immediate victim” of the case, she thinks “the true victims of Ms. Manji’s crime are the Inuit of Nunavut.
“Ms. Manji’s daughters are also her victims and accordingly, I do not accept the counsel’s submission that a motive for Ms. Manji’s fraud to benefit her daughters is a mitigating factor,” said Manocchio. “In my view, it is to the contrary.
Noah Noah, the son of Kitty Noah, was at the courtroom during the sentencing.
He called the sentence a “pleasant surprise,” adding he didn’t expect it to be that long.
“It’s great news. It’s a good day.”
More good news again this week. Here is an example of another justice that sentenced perpetrator to more then what the prosecution and defense was asking for. It is proof that our judges can make decisions based on the trial evidence and not just the recommendations. His honour is right in stating that that this individual has shown to be a “habitual and perpetual fraudster,” saying her crime was an “egregious example of exploitation of Indigenous Peoples.” (Justice Mia Manocchia, June 27, 2024). Another person who deserved jail time and is in fact going to the big house. I think it is time for our prosecutors to seek more impactful sentences, and stop suggesting minimal. More criminals need to learn that their actions are unacceptable. I am glad she will serve time in a federal penitentiary, rather then here in Nunavut. Good job Justice Manocchia. Well done.
They should have stuck with the Crowns suggestions so she would have had to serve her time in Nunavut surrounded by Inuit!
I was think the same thing!! The judge actually did the lady a favour because there will be more activities and better accommodations overall in the penitentiary. And she’ll probably get out sooner than 18 months because it is a non violent offence. A good deal for her in the end
I think there’s another issues here at hand. Good to see justice was served here but I think there needs to be a dive into the administration of the grants program.
Was it intentional for 3 years of schooling to give out a total of $158,254.05 or $79,127.025 per person essentially. That seems incredibly excessive for Canadian Education. Our US counterparts that would be normal but for most Canadian universities outside of a select few, tuition for a 4 four year undergrad program is actually not that expensive.
Now I understand there’s living costs as well but presumably the student should be covering some costs of the next 4 years themselves to gain some form of self responsibility.
Seems in excess, and I suspect there’s little in the ways of ensuring there’s no duplicating grants despite having potential language saying you need to disclose other grants you have received from other organizations.
Its crazy how valuable it is to be indigenous. I mean, a free 153K in 3 years for two kids. The opportunity. Priority hiring or just simply incorporating companies and partnering with southern businesses to gain access to favourable bids for government RFP’s, mine RFPS, etc. Pretty much unlimited opportunity out there for Inuit people right now in NU.
I think one of the twins did law at Queens and the other engineering. However Kakivak also covers living expenses (i might be wrong) for Inuit so that explains the hefty price tag. That aside, there are an insane amount of benefits available to all Inuit, however the Inuit who are really making use of it are definitely not the one that could use it the most. It is really the have’s. Someone who is 3rd generation Inuk will identify as 100% Inuk to access this multitude of benefits. While any other student who are struggling financially will continue to struggle.
they both graduated with 2 degrees as per another article. unreal
She went to college in the US… has degrees from Connecticut and West Virginia.
Wow. Don’t mess with the indigenous.
Awesome!
Now do all the fake Inuit owned companies abusing Article 24.
Get rid of Article 24 altogether, and every other market distortion that pretends to help but only adds costs.
I want to hear how NTI let this happen. They are part to blame for this, as they are the ones who gave these two girls Nunavut beneficiaries status. How did they handle the application, and how did they reach out to Kitty Noah to verify they were her daughters? If I was Noah Noah, I would be asking those questions NTI, and asking for financial compensation from NTI to putting his family through this.
Shame on NTI for nothing doing their duty as the guardians of our Land Claims Agreement.
The NTI Enrollment Process.
If I want to apply, I submit application to NTI –
NTI – forwards the application to the respected Community Enrollment Committee though the RIO- Local Community Liaison Office, there are 25 communities so there are 25 community enrollment committees made up of local Inuit, usually elders.
Committee members – I do not know their selection process or term lengths. I just know they exists and that NTI pays their honoraria. The Community enrollment committees review the applications and approve, deny, or ask more questions, results are sent back to NTI for registration etc. NTI does have an appeal process which I have no idea how it works.
NTI Funds regional Inuit Orgs for a local community liaison officer position, so this is an employee of QIA, KIA KIA who hosts the Community Enrollment Committee meetings and administers their day to day functions
So in 2016 between, the Community Enrollment Committee and QIA Community Liaison Officer in Iqaluit along with the NTI Enrollment Department did not do the proper checks with registering adopted Inuit children.
So this leads me to believe NTI needs to review all files with applications for adopted Inuit children dating back to 1994 when the enrollment process was initiated.
NTI does nothing but give out Federal money to any Inuk that is looking for a free handout and pull in their big pay cheques, they are asleep at the wheel obviously. It’s a waste of good Federal tax paying dollars.
You get money? I never received any money from nti. You related to the nti workers? I want money too.
Think the question should be, how did this all happen under their nose’s? was someone inside approving these two?
We all know how hard it is to even get FANS, how the hell did they get that much, when I was struggling to pay my rent and get food on the table living off FANS, I applied for money around the same time as these two, can there be any law suit here, from real inuit whom missed out on all that money for our education?
Yeah. Me I have been with an Inuk, common-law marriage for 25 years and have two wonderful, inuk children. They have their lives fully intact and have never used the system
I’m so proud.
Only in Nunavut does someone getting a couple of fake IDs get more time than stabbing someone to death. https://www.nunavutnews.com/nunavut-news/resolute-bay-woman-gets-2-5-year-sentence-in-stabbing-death-of-pond-inlet-man-7280089.
Even if her children grow up to be the most trustworthy people imaginable, their mothers doing has created a visible black eye to their entire lives. Shame on her.
Didn’t NTI do any due diligence? Aren’t there birth records?Nunavut communities are small, everybody knows who’s who. The woman plead guilty, will pay back all the money, the sentence seems excessive. The crown didn’t have to make much of a case. Were the twins actually adopted? What was their ethnicity including the mother’s that led NTI to believe they were Inuit.
A university can revoke a degree if it was obtained through fraud, so what are the schools doing with those girls degrees?
She could always try her luck applying with NunatuKavut
How did NTI let this happen? Why are they not taking some of the blame?
And for those questioning how a Greenlander is enrolled under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, I share your concern. They are Inuit but not Nunavut Inuit. Can an Inuk from Nunavut enroll under the Inuvialuit, Nunavik or Nunatsiavut Agreements? The answer is no.