The contract of Vice Chancellor of the University of Greater Manchester Professor George Holmes has been 'ended' following his suspension amid an investigation into 'serious allegations'.
Background and Suspension
University chiefs said in April last year three people had been suspended as a 'precautionary measure'. The institution said it had taken the 'neutral step' of suspending Prof Holmes and two other senior members of staff.
It came after the university appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to lead an independent inquiry into allegations raised in Parliament by Bolton West MP Phil Brickell, having been first reported by The Mill.
Parliamentary and Police Involvement
The Commons was told police were investigating allegations of 'concerning practices' at the University of Greater Manchester. The then leader of the House Lucy Powell said 'the police are involved' after 'very serious allegations' were made against the Bolton-based higher education institution.
She said the Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of higher education in England, was 'looking into' the allegations. Her words came in response to a question from MP Brickell.
In July last year, Greater Manchester Police said it was investigating 'alleged financial irregularities' at the university, adding: "The Major Incident Team ha[s] since began to lead an investigation into suspected fraud and bribery."
Arrests and Financial Probe
Last month, GMP said warrants had been executed in Bolton, Lancashire, Humberside and West Yorkshire, with two men in their 60s and a woman in her 50s arrested on suspicion of money laundering. The men were additionally arrested on suspicion of fraud, with one also held on suspicion of bribery. The arrested parties were later bailed.
The force added: "We're exploring evidence indicating over £1million-worth of fraudulent activity. As part of our enquiries, we're probing around 60 transactions and investigating more than a million emails."
Contract Termination and Current Status
On Wednesday (August 5), the university confirmed Prof Holmes' contact has now ended. A statement read: "Dr George Holmes's contract as Vice Chancellor was ended by the Governing Body of the University earlier this week. The staff and students of the University have been informed of developments."
"Dr Greg Walker remains in post as Acting Vice Chancellor. The Governing Body of the University will meet in due course to consider the process and timelines for appointing a permanent head of the institution."
In a statement released last April, the university said: "The university was made aware of PwC's findings following its investigation into serious allegations raised in the media and subsequently in Parliament."
Bosses confirmed 'the Vice Chancellor', along with two other senior staff members, had been 'suspended following serious allegations'. The university added: "These suspensions are a precautionary measure and do not imply any assumption of guilt. The university has taken this step to ensure a fair and transparent process."
"As the university's internal procedures, involving all relevant parties, have now begun, we are not able to comment further until such matters are concluded."
