USP remains silent after reports that 3 staff sent home after allegedly leaking information

The University of the South Pacific will not make any public comments on internal matters after reports that three USP staff of the Human Resources and Finance departments have been sent home.

It is alleged that the three were disciplined after they leaked information to the media.

USP has maintained that it will not engage publicly on its recruitment processes or policies in respect to individual contracts after allegations surfaced of more people appointed to senior positions at USP without proper procedures being followed.

A paper being circulated alleges that some were appointments made without procedures being followed, allegations that the process and policy to ensure all senior positions be advertised if it is for a term of more than 12 months were not followed, allegations of favoritism, allegations of conflict of interest and some appointments made that may have allegedly breached work permits earlier given by the Fijian government.

Meanwhile Attorney General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had earlier stated in parliament that the government’s grant to USP will only be released once the USP Council accepts their request to have an independent investigation on the report made by the Chair of the USP Audit and Risk Committee Mahmood Khan.

Sayed-Khaiyum said they have requested for an independent body to look into the number of anomalies under Professor Pal Ahluwalia that were raised by Khan in his report but the request was not approved by the USP Council.

Sayed-Khaiyum added that whatever the finding is, they will accept it but Fiji wants good governance at USP.

He said unless and until this is done, they are not going to release the grant.

Fiji is the largest contributor to USP where they give a grant of about $32 million to $36 million every year while the second-highest is the Solomon Islands with $2 million.

In it’s meeting this week, the USP Council has directed the Secretary to Council to refer the allegations of breach of the USP Council Code of Conduct by Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council Winston Thompson and the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee Mahmood Khan to the Council’s Executive Committee.

Written responses by Thompson and Khan will also be referred to the Executive Committee.

The USP Council says this will then allow the process thereunder to take its course.

A USP Council statement says the recommendations are to be provided to the Council no later than 30th March 2021.

The USP Council also states that it was not able to consider further the matter of the contract of Professor Pal Ahluwalia as the Sub-Committee is yet to present its recommendations to the Council.

Questions sent to Pro Chancellor Winston Thompson and Professor Ahluwalia remain answered.