FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) – A Navajo Nation justice official says the tribe's ranch program has been added to the list of investigations under a special prosecutor.
The tribe leases more than two dozen ranches on about 1.5 million acres that are broken up into range units.
Henry Howe is the assistant attorney general for the tribe's Department of Justice. He says the department successfully petitioned a panel of judges to have the special prosecutor look into allegations of improprieties in awarding ranch leases.
Leo Watchman Jr. heads the department that oversees the ranch program. He says improprieties were made known in a 2009 audit and the department is working to address the findings.
The tribe's contractual relationship with two companies that operated on the reservation and discretionary funding doled out by tribal lawmakers already is under investigation.