The Chairperson of the USP Audit and Risk Committee Mahmood Khan has made it clear that there is no influence from anyone and he is raising issues concerning the management of USP because he wants to help USP get back on track.
Khan says he is serving his country and if people take exception to him serving his country, then he takes exception to people picking on him simply because he is related to the Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
He says he applied for the position after it was advertised and got selected after he was interviewed.
Khan says there is no conflict of interest and he was appointed by the Minister for Education who asked for expressions of interest from people who wanted to serve on committees of tertiary institutions.
National Federation Party President, Pio Tikoduadua says by holding the government grants on the basis of allegations made by the Minister of Economy’s own relative placed on USP Council under his influence, is the worst case of abuse of power.
Tikoduadua says the law of the land is clear: USP is a legal entity founded by a number of Pacific Island Countries which by law are obliged to fund the university on a pre-agreed basis. He says the university’s financial accounts are audited by credible accounting firms registered to practice in Fiji. Tikoduadua says audited accounts for 2019 are unqualified and there is no basis for the government to withhold any fund.
The NFP President says if the government is unhappy with the way its grants are used, then it has recourse to the provisions of the Finance Management Act, under which it can itself audit the funds it has contributed. Mahmood Khan says he has been in Fiji for 3 years before he decided to serve his country.
Khan says he hopes people focus on the issue rather than personalising it.
He says at the end of the day, all he did as the Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee is report the matters that were referred to him by whistle-blowers and people who were concerned about the shortcuts being taken.
He says, unfortunately, he is being scapegoated because all he did was do his job.
Khan is a Chartered Accountant /Consultant with 45 years of experience in Public Practice, Investigations and Governance.
Khan was an Assurance Partner of BDO, Northland, Chartered Accountants for 30 years till retirement in 2016 when returned to live permanently in Fiji. He is a member of Fiji Institute of Accountants, Member of Institute of Aust/NZ Chartered Accountants and a member of New Zealand Institute of Directors. Khan was recognised as a Fellow by the New Zealand Institute of Accountants and a Fellow of New Zealand Trustees Association.
Govt withholds $27.7 million USP grant until a resolution on the highlighted matters
The Fijian Government says the letter sent to the Pro-Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific on 23rd of September 2020 speaks for itself.
The government has said in a statement that this is not a matter to be resolved through the media.
It says that for this financial year, $27.7 million has been allocated to USP, part of the Fijian Government’s contribution, which will be disbursed once a grant agreement is signed and upon resolution of the matters which have been highlighted in the letter.
It says from January 2020 to date the Fijian Government has paid $21.8 million.
The government looks forward to the matters in the letter being addressed expeditiously.
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