CIT president hits out at whistleblower ‘falsehoods’

The president of Cork Institute of Technology has claimed that allegations made against the college by an anonymous whistle-blower were “almost entirely malicious falsehoods” that were “intended to damage the good name of CIT, its governors, and staff”.

Brendan Murphy also defended the manner in which CIT went about commissioning portraits of both himself and a former CIT governing body chairman, after independent auditors found the procurement of the paintings in 2009 went against CIT policy.

Dr Murphy’s comments came in a series of correspondence between the college and the Higher Education Authority, which have been released to the Irish Examiner under the Freedom of Information Act.