Alaska Native corporations accused of taking bribes

Friday, September 21, 2007  

Three Alaska Native village corporations are demanding a state senator retract his allegations that they have taken bribes in order to support a mining project.

The Pedro Bay, Iliamna and Alaska Peninsula village corporation say state Rep. Jay Ramras (R) defamed them by saying they took bribes from Northern Dynasty Mines Inc.. The company wants to build a copper and gold prospect in Southwest Alaska.

"Your statements are false, malicious and in complete disregard of the truth," a letter from the village corporations to Ramras said, The Anchorage Daily News reported.

The corporations have contracts with Northern Dynasty but haven't decided whether to support the mining project, an executive said. "Not one of us has taken a bribe," said Norman Jacko of the Pedro Bay Corp, which has a contract to work on a road for the mine.

Ramras is refusing to retract his allegations and said he detailed them in a confidential letter to the state Department of Law.

Get the Story:
Jay Ramras won't retract bribery claims (The Anchorage Daily News 9/21)
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