OFFICIALS AT the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona will this week begin scrutinising documents relating to the conduct of the Guild of Students' raffle of a luxury Mercedes Benz, reliable sources told The Gleaner yesterday.
According to the source, the University administration has demanded that the Guild hand over all documents relating to the recently drawn raffle by tomorrow, so that the paper trail of receipts and invoices of expenditure from the raffle can be examined. It is understood that these documents have been repeatedly requested by the University administration but have not been presented.
When contacted yesterday, UWI Public Relations Officer, Carroll Edwards declined to comment on what the University's likely course of action would be.
"The Mona Campus Council has referred this matter to University Council. The matter will be fully aired at University Council when it meets next month, and a decision taken at that time on what is the next step," she said.
The raffle, a student initiative originally conceived to raise funds for needy students' scholarships and bursaries, is reported to have met only 20 per cent of projected income, leaving the Guild without funds to pay the $1.7 million price tag for the grand prize vehicle.
The University administration has distanced itself from the organisation and conduct of the raffle, and has indicated that it will not be providing a monetary bailout for the Guild, whose chronic financial mismanagement it has publicly condemned.
