Two senior USP staff alleged of misconduct Featured
USP Pro-Chancellor, Winston Thompson
18 February, 2021. Allegations of misconduct by two senior members of the University of the South Pacific have been referred to the university's executive committee.
The committee will also look at written responses and provide recommendations to the USP Council by March 30.
Pro Chancellor Winston Thompson and head of the Audit and Risk Committee Mahmoud Khan are being investigated for alleged misconduct.
It is not clear what the breaches are but the council, which met this week, said the investigation is to allow the process to take its course.
Meanwhile, the fate of the university's vice-chancellor and president Pal Ahluwalia is still unknown as the subcommittee appointed to look into the legal aspects of his deportation is yet to submit its recommendations to the council.
Professor Ahluwalia and his wife were forced to leave the country on February 4 after the government claimed they had breached provisions in their work permits.
No details have been made public.
The USP Council said it had extended the appointment of Dr Giulio Masasso Tu'ikolongahau Paunga to act as vice-chancellor and president until further notice.
Earlier, Mr Thompson told local media he did not attend the second half of the meeting which was chaired by Tongan Education Minister Siaosi Sovaleni.
Fiji's Education Minister Rosy Akbar, permanent secretary Dr Anjeela Jokhan and Solicitor-General Sharvada Sharma attended the meeting.
Human rights commission looking into deportation
Fiji's Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission said it would comment on the academic's deportation once responses from the authorities were received.
Commissioner Ashwin Raj said a statement would be issued once the commission had received a 'response to the queries the commission sent to the relevant authorities last week in relation to this matter'.
Raj had earlier said the commission was trying to ascertain the facts from relevant authorities that "may have given rise to this particular provision of the Immigration Act to be exercised and the circumstances in which Professor Ahluwalia and his wife Sandra Price were detained and subsequently deported".
- RNZI
