29 Sep 2005

UPNG Chancellor says riot probe is slow

3:42 pm on 29 September 2005

The Chancellor at the University of Papua New Guinea says he is disappointed at the slow progress of an investigation into recent unrest on campus.

Andrew Yauieb says the committee making enquiries and gathering evidence about the upheavals is taking a lot longer than they said they would.

Mr Yauieb made the comment while defending a recent business trip to Suva by the Vice-Chancellor, Les Eastcott, even though he had stood aside from his position while the UPNG investigation takes place.

"I am a little disappointed that it's taken a lot longer than we were initially advised. It's now some eight weeks down the line. I have informed the minister that I wish to proceed to have him back on the job because that's what he's employed to do, is to run the university."

Meanwhile, Andrew Yauieb has clarified that Mr Eastcott's trip was budgeted for and approved by the UPNG council despite Mr Eastcott's claim, upon returning, that the USP funded the trip.