Shamim "Chippy" Shaik was stripped of his doctorate from the University
of KwaZulu-Natal without reasons *1, his brother
and lawyer Yunis Shaik said yesterday.
In a statement on behalf of Chippy, Yunis said: "The senate passed a resolution
on February 28 to withdraw the degree awarded to Dr Shamim Shaik.
"To date no reasons, and the evidence in support thereof, have been given for
this decision."
Last year media reported that "more than two-thirds" of Shaik's 2003 PhD in
mechanical engineering from the then-University of Natal had been plagiarised
and an inquiry had been set up.
Shaik has repeatedly denied allegations of plagiarism.
Yesterday, the Sunday Times reported that Shaik had been unmasked as a fake.
However, Yunis Shaik described the decision of the senate as "startling and the
process that produced it a gross violation of the rules of fair play and natural
justice".
He said his brother intended to challenge the university's decision in the high
court.
He said Chippy had been assured at the beginning of the investigation into the
authenticity of his doctoral thesis that the inquiry would be "fair and just".
Shaik argued that the university breached these undertakings.
"(He) was not afforded a proper opportunity to defend the thesis; instead all he
was provided with were a list of questions to respond to. His written reply was
comprehensive and proved conclusively that he did not plagiarise the work of any
other," the statement said.
Chippy is the brother of jailed businessman Schabir Shaik, who is challenging a
conviction for fraud.
With acknowledgements to Sapa and Business
Day.
*1Other than an exhaustive 10-month
international forensic investigation, an independent expert analysis and a
summary report entitled :
"Resolution & Reason's (sic) for Withdrawal of S. Shaik's PhD
Thesis"