Apenisa Waqairadovu 
Dr Sunil Kumar ( L) and University of Fiji Vice Chancellor Shaista Shameem. [ Source: Devpolicy Blog.com]
Higher Education Commission Fiji member Dr Sunil Kumar has hit out at a call by University of Fiji Vice Chancellor Shaista Shameem for his removal.
Yesterday, Shameem made claims against Dr Kumar and questioned his appointment to the HECF.
She says she had sued Dr Kumar for defamation due to a scandalous Facebook message under his name against two senior officers of the University.
She further stated that it was incomprehensible that Kumar was appointed to the HECF after the University had filed its case in the High Court.
She claims that Kumar is a former employee of the University of Fiji, but he left in strained circumstances.
Meanwhile, Dr Kumar says what Professor Shameem is doing now is indeed scandalous since she is bringing a prejudicial matter to the public’s attention.
Dr Kumar says the Professor seems to have a total disregard for legal conventions despite being a lawyer.
He states that Professor Shameem had raised the issue with the Higher Education Commission and the Minister of Education earlier, but it was found to have no basis to have him removed from the Commission.
He adds that it is a matter of concern that Professor Shameem is raising this issue publicly when it is in court.
Dr Kumar says he has no conflict of interest, either in the case of the University of Fiji or any other tertiary institution.
He says he has a conscientious obligation to serve the institutions through the HECF as a commissioner and shall stand by the principles and ethics necessary in performing his role in the functions of the HECF.
He adds that he has referred this matter to his lawyers and has requested correspondence with the Court for restraint on the part of Shameem regarding this issue.
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