Plane Crash Victim’s Family Fund Set-up

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

A trust fund was set up for the family of a woman in Ottawa who’s believed to be one of the passengers on a plane that recently crashed in the Indian Ocean.  Donations are being collected in order to help the husband and three children of Ensumata Abdoulghani for their funeral, travel, and living costs.

Abdoulghani had a Yemenia Airbus ticket for a trip coming from Paris and Marseille to Comoros passing through Yemen.  This plane had 153 people when it plunged in the water on Tuesday while approaching Grande Comore airport.  Only a 12-year-old girl survived.

Her husband, a Muslim teacher named Youssouf Mahamoud, traveled to Comoros after hearing the crash.  Some of his emergency money for the trip was raised by neighbors and friends in his low-income apartment.  He would still need a plane ride back and the family will extremely appreciate any help they can receive.

Before the crash, Mahamoud had been sending his earnings back to his family.  Donations for the family trust fund can be made at any branch of TD Canada Trust.  The bank will accept any cash or check that’s made out to Mohamed Mahaoud in trust.

Tags: donations, Ensumata Abdoulghani, Indian Ocean, plane, plane crash, TD Canada Trust, trust fund, Yemenia, Youssouf Mahamoud
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Trust Fund Spending Defense

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Dan Winkler spent over five hours on a witness stand on Tuesday to answer questions about using donations from Huntingdon Church Christ Fund in caring for his granddaughters.  Attorneys for Mary Winkler, the children’s mother, filed a motion that says legal expenses for Dan should be paid back because donations for this fund were primarily solicited to care for and provide future education for the Winkler children.

Mary was convicted of manslaughter for the 2006 killing of Matthew Winkler, her minister husband and also the children’s father.  In the court, Dan said that $226,525.26 was collected in Huntingdon fund and $215,341.75 worth of expenses was withdrawn from this account.  “The current account balance according to records is $11,183.51 because I don’t think more funds were deposited into it,” he testified.

He was co-signatory on the account during the grandchildren’s care, and the church elders informed him that he needs to be taken off it because the funds are being used for attorney’s fees.  Winkler defended himself by saying that the money goes to litigation - he sued Mary to terminate her parental rights so that he (and his wife) could raise the children.  He also said that he never withdrew money from the family trust fund; he just made withdrawals from the account in Huntingdon to reimburse the expenses incurred for the children.

Tags: attorneys, Dan Winkler, Family Trust, Huntingdon, Mary Winkler, Matthew Winkler, trust fund
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