Battle for la Salle Foundation continues as Brother Gines defies order

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Friday, June 06, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The battle for the world famous environmental research institution (among other things) La Salle Foundation rages on.  90 year-old Brother Gines' legal adviser, Beatriz Di Totto accuses the religious congregation of falsifying the minutes of a general assembly held on April 30, proclaiming Brother Pereda as the new president. "On April 30 the assembly voted out the proposal ... I was assembly secretary and counted 62 votes against the proposal."

• Brother Gines, who founded the organization and been its president for 50 years, maintains that the appointment of a new president is illegal. 

Speaking on behalf of Brother Gines,  Di Totto says she collected the authentic signatures of those that attended the assembly before going to register the minutes but was surprised to discover that somebody had already introduced a similar minute report at the Registry Office  containing falsifications." 

On learning about the allegedly "falsified" acts, Brother Gines has reacted lodging a formal complaint at the Attorney General's Office and has called an extraordinary assembly for June 11 to resolve the crisis.