An organization to help immigrant women in Nova Scotia has fired its executive director and is shutting down after spending irregularities came to light.

At a news conference Wednesday, the two remaining board members of the All Women's Empowerment and Development Association outlined a series of cheques issued by Rosamond Luke that they claim were not approved.

"There was no supporting documentation," said Brenda Saunders-Todd, chairwoman of the board of AWEDA, adding that many of the payments were made out to cash or were for trips that weren't authorized by the board of directors.

"It's a sad, sad day. That's all I can say."

They said there isn't enough money to pay salaries and Revenue Canada, forcing AWEDA to close.

Luke, who helped found AWEDA, was suspended without pay this week after questions arose about the group's financial records.

AWEDA received $142,700 in funding from Status of Women Canada in June. The money was for a year-long pilot project to help low-income immigrant women with business opportunities, according to the agency's website.

The group also received a grant from the IWK Health Centre in Halifax to help immigrant and refugee women access health care. About $19,000 of the $38,000 grant was paid.

The board gave Luke until 5 p.m. Tuesday to answer an e-mailed list of questions before a meeting at its lawyers' offices in Halifax. She showed up unannounced and was invited in. The meeting ended about five hours later.

Luke didn't answer questions from reporters.

She told CBC News on Monday she knew nothing about any accounting irregularities, and said the board wasn't pleased she chose to run as a Conservative in the federal election.

The federal Conservatives handpicked Luke as their candidate in the riding of Halifax, rather than going through the local nomination process.

She withdrew from the race two days after her candidacy was announced, as her July 2006 conviction for uttering threats was made public. She said at the time she wanted to devote her time to AWEDA.

The board issued a release then stating it supported Luke.

With files from the Canadian Press