Morley Googoo during a 2019 interview with APTN News. Photo: APTN.
Former Assembly of First Nations regional chief Morley Googoo, 53, was in a Wagmatcook courtroom Friday facing a charge of sexual assault.
The complainant testified at the trial saying the experience with Googoo, “will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
The complainant, who cannot be named because of a publication ban, alleges Googoo of We’koqma’q First Nation sexually assaulted her in March 2013.
She testified she went to Googoo’s home to discuss community programs.
She testified that Googoo brought her a glass of Seven-Up, and she began to feel drugged.
Googoo’s lawyer, Chris Conohan, called Googoo’s ex-wife, son and neighbour as witnesses.
They testified that Googoo was never home alone.
But on cross-examination by Crown attorney, Tracey Strumy, the witnesses could not recall the exact dates, or for certain they were with Googoo.
Googoo was charged on Dec. 23, 2020.
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The court was adjourned till April 29, when Googoo is expected to testify.
Googoo was regional chief from 2011 until 2019 when removed by Mi’maw chiefs after an investigation found Googoo discriminated against and harassed women.
The investigation – by an Ottawa-based law firm for the AFN – was sparked by complaints he bullied, harassed and intimidated some women in the Mi’kmaw community. Googoo is also a former chief of We’koqma’q First Nation.
The law firm investigators told the AFN that they heard “other allegations of rape and assault” and that many of those allegations “involved women from the Mi’kmaq community.”
Googoo denied the allegations in an exclusive interview with APTN after he was removed from his position with the national advocacy organization.
