Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the Government will not change its stance with regards to the suspension of grants to the University of the South Pacific.

Speaking at a “Question and Answer” session in Suva yesterday, he said financial anomalies within the regional university need to be independently investigated first.

He says if people had nothing to hide, they would not hesitate to have an investigation.

He stated this in response to a question raised by USP Student Association Vice President, Lepani Naqarase on why the Government is refusing to release the grants.

Fiji has withheld a grant of about $23m from USP, demanding that there be an independent investigation into allegations of mismanagement and abuse of office by Vice-Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia.

The USP Council has refused to initiate any such investigation, and former Chair of the university’s Audit and Risk Committee Mahmood Khan was later voted out for pointing out the alleged abuses by Professor Ahluwalia.