by Shawn Pottorf SB Independent Contributing Writer
At a Stony Brook Graduate Student Organization (GSO) meeting in
the Wang Center today, Graduate School dean Dr. Lawrence
Martin reported the results ofan audit of GSO
finances conducted by Stony Brook University’s Department of
Internal Audits .
As a result of the investigation, two former
executives who were graduate students at Stony Brook University,
Rong Su (GSO treasurer 2003-2005) and Venkat Reddy Pasham (GSO
secretary 2003-2004), were charged with misappropriating GSO funds
during 2003 to 2005. Warrants for Ms. Su and Mr. Pasham were issued
and Ms. Su has been taken into custody.
There were also other Stony Brook students being charged with
student misconduct, “for coming into payments not entitled to,”
according to Dr. Martin, relating to these misappropriated GSO
funds. These students have been sent to the university's Student
Judiciary to resolve these charges. Because these people are
students and have not been criminally charged, their names may not
be released. According to Dr. Martin, for Ms. Su and Mr. Pasham,
these criminal charges could lead to imprisonment or possibly
deportation since both are foreign students.
It is in the power of the Graduate School dean, Stony Brook
University (SBU), New York State, or even the GSO itself to request
an audit of GSO finances, according to current GSO treasurer,
Anirban Dutta. Audits on the GSO have been requested in the past,
generally by the Graduate School dean.
This was the first time criminal charges have come from an audit
during Dr. Martin’s 13 year tenure as graduate school dean of SBU.
About 30 illegal or questionable transactions were performed during
2003 and 2005 while Ms. Su was the GSO treasurer. The transactions
ranged from tens of dollars to $1000 totalling about $5000.
The kinds of transactions in question varied from RAP reimbursements
to reimbursements for questionable meals or items. The transactions
normally must be signed by two GSO executives, but in these
instances there appeared to be only one signature or the signatures
were illegible. Dr. Martin also said, in response to a question,
that "it is unlikely" there would be restitution of the funds.
Dr. Martin continued by saying how this problem appears to have
arisen from there not having been established any good check or
balance on the GSO executives, while at the same time admitting that
constraints would make allocations of GSO funds bureaucratically
painful. Dr. Martin has asked Doug Panico, the head of the Internal
Audits Department to give him suggestions on how to protect the GSO
from being in these situations of an executive or executives
misappropriating GSO funds.
The GSO senate briefly discussed the report by Dr. Martin and it was
asked whether the GSO should release a statement on this matter or
whether the public release of this information should be postponed
until more final conclusions are made. There was no resolution or
motion passed on this line of discussion.
