Home / Crime and Justice / UoW Witness Admits Lying Under ICAC Pressure
UoW Witness Admits Lying Under ICAC Pressure
10 Jul
Summary
- A former chief governance officer admitted to fabricating testimony during an ICAC probe.
- Texts revealed she supplied interview questions to a favored candidate for a $389,000 job.
- The university faces broader financial issues including declining international student enrollment.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) probe into the University of Wollongong (UoW) concluded its final witness testimony on Friday. Alyssa White, the former chief governance officer at the center of allegations of cronyism, admitted her previous statements were undone by text messages. These messages showed she had sent interview questions to a staffer for a preferred candidate.
White also confessed to being involved in developing a $389,000 job for herself, acknowledging she "did not do the right thing" and "did not think her actions through" due to a desperate need for staff. The ICAC heard that colleagues and friends were fast-tracked, interview questions were leaked, and the former chancellor, Michael Still, improperly awarded work to Aspirall Consulting.
The inquiry also examined conflicts of interest concerning the interim vice chancellor John Dewar and consulting firm KordaMentha. Multiple witnesses stated that recruitment was a significant challenge at UoW, which is also grappling with other financial difficulties. The university reported a $17 million loss in the last financial year and is experiencing a long-term decline in international student enrollment, a trend affecting many regional Australian institutions.
