New Scandal Erupts Over Shaik-linked Academic [Cape Times, 2008-03-18]

Publication: Cape Times Issued: Date: 2008-03-18 Reporter: Tania Broughton Reporter:

New Scandal Erupts Over Shaik-linked Academic

Publication	Cape Times
Date	2008-03-18
Reporter	Tania Broughton
Web Link	www.capetimes.co.za

Durban: Former University of KwaZulu-Natal academic Viktor Verijenko, who was at the centre of the Chippy Shaik "doctored" doctorate scandal, has now been accused by the university of "dishonesty" and making a "secret profit" of R1.5 million while working there.

And the university is seeking to attach pension money from both Verijenko and his wife, lecturer Belinda Verijenko, as surety against a pending damages claim against them of almost R1.8m.

Verijenko, who worked at the School of Mechanical Engineering from 1991 and was appointed its head in 2005, supervised Shaik's doctoral degree, which he was awarded in 2003 *1.

Earlier this month, the university withdrew the degree, saying that sections were plagiarised from a book, written in Russian, which was authored by Verijenko and VG Piskunov.

With acknowledgement to Tania Broughton and Cape Times.

*1 An inescapable question and one that has so far escaped being asked, is why would a "world-class" academic assist his student in unlawfully obtaining a higher degree?

But the profits of this misconduct are so far :

a revoked PhD degree;
one disciplinary tribunal against a secondary supervisor and internal examiner;
one resignation of the primary supervisor and internal examiner;
one resignation of the primary supervisor's wife and thesis collaborator;
one severely embarrassed local thesis collaborator; and
two suspected foreign external examiners and thesis collaborators.

Indeed why would a clutch of "world-class" academics assist their colleague in assisting his student in unlawfully obtaining a higher degree?