PIM refutes Prof. Gunapala Nanayakkara on Dubai centre operation

Wednesday, 11 December 2013 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Board of Management of the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) which met on 9 December, 2013 considered the statement of Prof. Gunapala Nanayakkara on the PIM Centre in Dubai which appeared in the Daily FT of 19 November, 2013. Prof. Nanayakkara refers to a letter dated 31 August, 2009 issued by PIM to Knowledge Village in Dubai with regard to the discontinuation of operations in Knowledge Village. This letter was issued at the specific request of Prof. Nanayakkara and as per his letter of 10 August, 2009. The period of rent agreement of PIM with Knowledge Village was to end by 5 September, 2009. The closure of the venue of the PIM MBA program in Dubai (i.e. Knowledge Village) should not be confused with the unexpected and unilateral suspension of the PIM’s academic operation in Dubai by Prof. Nanayakkara. In fact, Prof. Nanayakkara requested in his letter of 10 August, 2009 that the, “PIM Dubai Centre is reorganised and be removed to another location in Dubai”. At the PIM’s Board of Management meeting held on 19 August, 2009 and as intimated to Prof. Nanayakkara by letter of the following day, the PIM’s Board of Management directed Prof. Nanayakkara to “carry out a scaled-down operation by negotiating with another partner institution”. The Board of Management also requested cost estimates of the proposed scaled-down operation. Prof. Nanayakkara took no steps to carry out the directive of the PIM Board. On the other hand, without any intimation to either the PIM’s Board of Management or the students in Dubai, Prof. Nanayakkara discontinued operations in Dubai in the first week of September 2009 and returned to Sri Lanka. This act and conduct of Prof. Nanayakkara was unauthorised. Professor Nanayakkara was interdicted by the Council of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura for his alleged financial misappropriation of funds from the Dubai Centre. Prof. Nanayakkara filed legal action in the District Court of Colombo against his interdiction and the District Judge rejected his request for an injunction against the University. Prof. Nanayakkara has since appealed to the Provincial Court of Appeal of Colombo against the District Judge’s decision and that appeal is now pending. In the meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation Department is investigating into the alleged financial misappropriation of funds from the Dubai International Centre of the Postgraduate Institute of Management during the period it was under the management of Professor Gunapala Nanayakkara. PIM is anxious to place the correct picture before the public and hence, this correction. Editor’s Note: Correspondence on this matter is now closed.

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