Huntsville, AL – A state examination of Alabama A&M University's books has found a number of former officials and employees owe more than 1.1 million dollars in inappropriate charges and money not properly deposited.
The Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts released the report this week. It covers October 1st, 2002, through September 30th, 2005.
The report says former President John Gibson owes more than $29,000 for travel for his wife, alcohol, flowers, donations and other expenses. The report deems the expenses "inappropriate use of public funds" that were paid from a President's Fund set up in the Alabama A&M University Foundation.
The report says most of the money in that fund was deposited as a result of the school's food service contract with Aramark and is considered to be public money.
Gibson said Wednesday he is challenging the state's contention that the money was public.
Gibson is not named in a group of nine people, including former Alabama A&M Vice President for Business and Finance Arthur Henderson. They are jointly charged with more than 1.1 million dollars for money logged in the university's books as having been received, but never properly deposited in the bank.
The president pro tem of the A&M board of trustees said Wednesday he will review the state report in detail before a trustee meeting Saturday in Huntsville.
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Information from: The Huntsville Times, http://www.al.com/hsvtimes/hsv.html
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