TORONTO, Ont. — While still in its formative stages, the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC) has hit some snags.

In an odd sequence of events, Bill Wellman, the individual who helped kickstart the O/O group has resigned. Subsequently, the group’s treasurer, Tony Leckie, has gone missing, and so has nearly $80,000 in OBAC money, according to sources within the association.

The police have been informed and a missing persons report has been filed, sources say. The accountant hasn’t been seen since Truck World and authorities are investigating the case.

OBAC has been mired in controversy since the fledgling group was started. Wellman wasn’t pleased with the way the group was spending its money and threatened to pull the plug on the group’s funding, which he says he acquired from the government.

Among his concerns was a reported $1,000 per diem paid to board members during their meeting in Toronto.

He also insists he owns the copyright of the name OBAC and that the association isn’t legally entitled to use the name.

Dave Marson, president of OBAC, is appealing to owner/operators to keep the faith, despite the latest setbacks.

“We have a great board-of-directors,” he says, vowing the group will be a strong voice for O/Os once the internal problems are resolved. Most recently, Leo VanTuyl was named the group’s interim executive director, drawing on his experience with the Ontario Trucking Association.