Publication: Pretoria News Issued: Date: 2007-05-24 Reporter: Sapa

Chippy Unaware of UKZN Probe

 

Publication 

Pretoria News
Date

2007-05-24

Reporter

 Sapa

Web Link

www.pretorianews.co.za

 

The University of KwaZulu-Natal had not told Shamim "Chippy" Shaik that he was being investigated for alleged plagiarism, his brother and lawyer Yunis Shaik said last night.

"Nobody has told us anything," said Shaik, adding that he had notified the university that he would represent his brother. "We have asked the university for details ... What sort of investigation they are doing and what are the conclusions?"

"Strangely enough, the Sunday Times knows more than what the accused person knows," he said.*1

The Sunday Times reported that "more than two thirds" of Chippy Shaik's 2003 PhD in mechanical engineering from the then University of Natal had been plagiarised.

University spokesperson Professor Dasarath Chetty confirmed that Chippy Shaik had not been contacted over the allegations of plagiarism.

He said that vice-chancellor Professor Malegapuru Mokgaba had ordered a preliminary investigation to determine whether there were grounds for a full investigation to be conducted, ordered (sic) by the university's Higher Degrees Committee.

Chetty said the committee had ordered a full investigation and that those against whom allegations had been made, including Chippy Shaik, would be given an opportunity to present their cases.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and Pretoria News.



*1       This is not strange at all when they were part of the preliminary investigation whose findings were reported to the University.