Unitech investigations will go ahead

By ELLEN TIAMU
THE University of Technology’s interim management team will not prevent any investigations into the affairs of the university, acting vice- chancellor Yaip Telue said yesterday.
The interim team was appointed at a university council meeting in Port Moresby where it decided to sack Vice- Chancellor Albert Schram.
Telue was appointed as pro-vice chancellor  administration and acting vice-
chancellor.
In a statement yesterday, Telue said his team was “not plotting to prevent any investigations into the financial or administrative affairs of the university”.
“Let me state here that it was the decision of the university authority (council) to terminate Schram and appoint the interim management team to oversee the affairs of the university until substantive appointments are made. It is not the making of members of the team,” he said.
He said they wanted to see normalcy returned on campus and would ensure any investigation carried out by the state would be completed for the good of all
stakeholders.
Telue said the team comprised national professionals with standing in their respective fields and it would not allow itself to compromise anything that would question its integrity, principles and professionalism.
“If any member of the team is implicated, he will graciously step aside and answer to the charges,” he said.
Schram was still occupying the vice-chancellor’s office at the Taraka campus
yesterday with no signs of the interim team taking office.
A memorandum from the university yesterday said Schram was awarded a doctorate in 1994 from the European University Institute, the research institute of the European Commission
in social sciences.
In response to questions by the university council over his qualifications, the statement said Schram studied under a scholarship for Dutch citizens and his work was examined by esteemed professors from the European University Institute and Harvard
University.
Copies of his certificate had been circulated to all campus staff.
A member of the management team, John Pumwa, said the university was experiencing greater transparency and accountability in its operations under Schram as vice- chancellor.
“This is evident in the staff and students coming out to voice their support for him,” Pumwa said.