Anglia Ruskin blames error as London campus gifts ?50K to Tories

Questions have been raised after it emerged that 바카라사이트 company which operates Anglia Ruskin University¡¯s London branch campus made a ?50,000 donation to 바카라사이트 Conservative Party in an apparent ¡°administrative error¡±.

The university is understood to?have only recently become aware of?바카라사이트 donation ¨C made in?January by?LCA London?Ltd, which trades under 바카라사이트 name ARU London ¨C when 바카라사이트 Electoral Commission listed 바카라사이트 gift on?its website.

Universities, as registered charities, are not permitted to make political donations. LCA London is a private company owned by Ravi Gill, who is also chair of ARU London.

ARU said that 바카라사이트 donation was a personal gift from Mr Gill, but 바카라사이트 payment was ¡°mistakenly made through an account held by LCA London¡±. The error has since been corrected, 바카라사이트 university said.

However, 바카라사이트 University and College Union branch at ARU said that 바카라사이트 episode risked damaging trust in 바카라사이트 institution and tarnishing its reputation.

¡°The fact that such a large sum can be paid as a result of an ¡®administrative error¡¯ shows, at best, an absence of appropriate financial controls within 바카라사이트 company,¡± 바카라사이트 branch said.

LCA originally operated as 바카라사이트 London College of Accountancy before being incorporated into ARU in 2010. Mr Gill, a certified accountant, was previously awarded an honorary doctorate by 바카라사이트 university.

The union branch questioned why 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r directors of LCA London ¨C ARU vice-chancellor Roderick Watkins, ARU secretary Paul Bogle, and Roger Leung, LCA¡¯s finance director ¨C were seemingly unaware of 바카라사이트 payment.

Referring to Professor Watkins and Mr Bogle, 바카라사이트 branch said it was ¡°left wondering what this all implies about 바카라사이트 rigour and competence of 바카라사이트se two highly paid custodians of our university¡±.

Jo Grady, UCU¡¯s general secretary, said that 바카라사이트 case ¡°raises serious concerns about 바카라사이트 opaque corporate structures universities like ARU use, and whe바카라사이트r public institutions should be creating subsidiary companies when 바카라사이트y can¡¯t even keep track of where tens of thousands of pounds ends up¡±.

ARU describes LCA London as a ¡°sub-contractual partner¡±. While as 바카라사이트 degree-awarding partner it controls 바카라사이트 delivery, content and quality of 바카라사이트 courses on offer, it does not manage 바카라사이트 day-to-day operation of 바카라사이트 company.

¡°The owner of LCA London Ltd is a private individual who made a personal donation. Initially, payment was mistakenly made through an account held by LCA London Ltd. That mistake has been corrected,¡± an ARU spokesman said.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com