USPGATE. As two former Presidents of USP Staff Association prepare to appear on Fijivillage Straight Talk, KPMG Audit Report on Arvind Patel confirm STAFF claims of PAL Ahluwalia's $1.8m payout to Patel in 2019

30/7/2024

*The Unions call on the Council to approve this matter for referral to FICAC (Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption).

Two former Presidents of the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff, Elizabeth Fong and Dr Tamara Osborne-Naikatini (sacked by Pal Ahluwalia for Straight Talking - Telling the Truth about the mess he has created at the USP with the help of his cronies) will appear on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan at 7pm on Wednesday. The show will focus on issues relating to the University's operations, the expectations of the students and the staff.
The USP Vice Chancellor, Pal Ahluwalia, was invited but the University has indicated that he will not attend as they do not comment in public on personnel issues.
"Fijileaks STRAIGHT TALK: Since when has the Whistleblower on 'USP BDO Report' decided that he will no longer comment in public on personal issues?
His sacking of Osborne-Naikatini is illegal, vindictive, and bloody hypocritical.
Our own investigation reveal she NEVER leaked any materials to Islands Business magazine, despite Ahluwalia's claim he sacked her for breaching USP confidentiality.
When will the USP Council SACK PAL AHLUWALIA and hand him over to FICAC?
In 2020, on receiving the KPMG Report, Ahluwalia should have SACKED PATEL.
*But there is widespread consensus that it was Patel and not Ahluwalia who allegedly prepared the initial report that led to the controversial BDO Report on USP.

*The Joint Union Submission Report to the USP council members that was circulated to members before the April council meeting in Vanuatu this year was directly sourced from the 52-page KPMG Report on Patel.

13. Protection of Professor Arvind Patel (re: the KPMG report)
*This is a very serious case of financial gain that warranted a separate audit from the BDO
investigation and undertaken by KPMG.
*The KPMG audit discovered that in 2019, the year that VCP Ahluwalia started at USP, Arvind
Patel was paid a total of $1,183,483 million (154% more than what he received in 2018 under
VCP Rajesh Chandra).
*From the amount paid to Arvind Patel in 2019 – 14% was salary, 8% was Inducement
Allowance, 30% was Consultancy Fees, and 48% in Acting Allowances. In total Arvind Patel
held 7 Acting positions.
*The huge increases were 273% in Acting Allowances (from $150,886 in 2018 to $562,162 in
2019) – and a whopping 2,086% jump in Consultancy Fees (from $16,450 in 2018 to $359,630
in 2019).
*USP’s current Inducement Allowance policy restricts inducement percentages to 30%, with the
VCP having the power to increase the limit upon the recommendation of the relevant Dean or
Head of Section.
*And since Arvind Patel was Acting Dean FBE from 2015 to 2019, if any of his contract
renewals took place in that period (2019), there would clearly be a conflict of interest.
*The Audit Report also says that it was not until May 2020 that Arvind Patel relinquished the
role of Acting Dean FBE but kept his position as Head of the School of Accounting & Finance
and therefore retained the Inducement Allowance payments.
*Both VCP Ahluwalia and the Director Assurance & Compliance, Dulari Doras Traill were
supplied copies of the KPMG Audit Report on Arvind Patel in July 2020.
*
*The Unions are very concerned that Arvind Patel continues to be employed at the USP, and that
VCP Ahluwalia has done nothing to address the concerns raised by the SMT.
*Therefore, the Unions call on Council to approve this matter for referral to FICAC (Fiji
Independent Commission Against Corruption).
*We also call on the Assurance & Compliance section of the University to independently investigate the matter of Arvind Patel’s remuneration, without any undue influence from VCP Ahluwalia, because of the huge potential risks posed to the University.