A-G: TEACHERS SENT HOME FOR
ALLEGED SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
Two teachers have had their contracts terminated for sexual misconduct. This was highlighted by the Attorney-General and Minister for Economy and Education, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, during the post 2018/2019 National Budget roadshow at the University of the South Pacific yesterday.
The remark was in response to a question by Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) youth leader Jope Koroisavou whether people were being laid off from the Ministry of Education to save money to fund the budget.
Mr Koroisavou also said that more than 50 positions were advertised as people were laid off from the ministries. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said: “We don’t fund the budget by firing people.
“There are a few people whom we laid off last week because of sexual misconduct.
“That is the kind of thing that people get terminated for. If you suggest that we hire them then I am not going to do that. “Some of those could have had their contracts came to an end or did not perform or the job they did was a short-term job. But that is not how the budget will be funded. “We do not fund the budget by firing people. There are standards that need to be put in place,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said. He said: “The normal course of action has taken place for the sexual misconduct incident.
“Some of them where they have had criminal elements to it they have been reported to the Police.”
Mr Koroisavou asked Mr Sayed-Khaiyum to show the audit report of 2015-2016 National Budget to see the realisation of what had been budgeted and eventuated.
“We do an audit check on the budgets spent by the respective ministries on how was it spent, why it was spent and if it was spent then whether tenders were called for. That is what an audit does,” he said.