A forensic report from PwC says the fraud allegations levelled against three SFUO executives were not factual.
fraud allegations
Students have questioned whether the BOA should have done more in the aftermath of fraud allegations against three SFUO executives.
The SFUO may well be the first post-secondary student union in the country to have their university terminate their contract.
The letter highlights a series of recommendations for a new student union: a constitution that can only be amended at an annual General Assembly with a majority vote, elections managed by an independent third party, a model of governance which includes mechanisms for punitive action should trust be breached, and accountability to its membership.
This came in response to fraud allegations, and allegations of financial misconduct faced by at least three individuals on the SFUO executive, and for many students, felt long overdue. For others however, concerns of administrative interference in student governance raised red flags, and some students feel as though their voices are being stifled. We’re here to tell you that this is not the case.
In a statement released on Sept. 25, the University of Ottawa announced that they have given the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) official notice of termination of the contract held between the SFUO and the university administration.
Around 50 students gathered in front of the SFUO office on Sept. 6 to protest and call for impeachment of the SFUO executives named in recent fraud allegations.
Over the summer, the SFUO, Board of Governors, and Senate established new facilities, programs and services for students. It was a busy one.
We must resist the urge to scrap the whole organization. The SFUO can and should play a positive role in the lives of students. We can’t allow ourselves to become lazy and decide that the SFUO isn’t worth saving.
On Sunday, there was an opportunity for members of the BOA, on behalf of the students they represent, to stand up and do the right thing. What happened? BOA members failed to protect students and fight for us at the table, leaving myself and many others feeling frustrated and angered.
The resolution, pertaining to the forensic audit, would ensure that results from the audit cannot be used in a prosecution unless approved by the BOA. Further, the board would call upon Wess to pay the federation $994 in external legal fees by Oct. 1.
Your money was allegedly stolen from you by someone you should have trusted. Be angry about it, talk with your friends about it and make it an election issue. But what you should never do is make this a partisan issue, and that’s what one of my colleagues did. Contrary to his attempt, Alexei Kazakov’s letter does nothing to galvanize students and if his advice is heeded, the student body will be worse off for it.
“Allegations against Dorimain range from fraudulent use of SFUO funds under the guise of office cleaning and the catering of the SFUO Leader Action event on April 28, while Rachiq is accused in the report of possibly forging the certification of a “faulty” club called Testing Restaurants UOttawa and claiming funds for personal use.”
I write to you in the wake of the latest SFUO scandal to tickle the part of our brains concerned with righteous indignation, i.e. president Rizki Rachiq engaging in large-scale embezzlement of SFUO funds to buy himself luxury goods, including but not limited to visits to a haute-couture hair stylist in Montreal, Louis Vuitton shoes, and a $950 pair of glasses.
