Allegations of forgery and misappropriation of funds has prompted the Undergraduate Student Government Internal Affairs Committee and Student Judicial Affairs to launch an investigation into Blacks Interested in Business.

Internal Affairs Committee Chairwoman Sen. Connie Howard said the investigation began after Blacks Interested in Business President Greg Akers entered Student Development and attempted to transfer $300 from the organization’s account to the Saluki Party account April 10.

Akers also was running as the vice presidential candidate on the Saluki Party ticket in the April 15 USG election with presidential candidate and USG Sen. Sean Henry. Howard said Henry is not listed on the membership list for the Registered Student Organization.

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However, Henry’s biography information on the USG website states that Henry is a member of Blacks Interested in Business. Neither Henry or Akers could be reached to confirm that information.

Akers said the transfer was never made because he was unable to talk to the group’s adviser Michael Haywood and was unsure if the transfer was allowable. He also said he was not sure he understood why there the investigation is taking place and did not feel Blacks Interested in Business had done anything wrong.

It is all false. We did not do anything wrong, Akers said. It will all come out soon enough in the investigation, though.

Haywood said he was unaware of any investigation but did not believe that there were any incidents of forgery.

I don’t know why they are targeting our organization, Haywood said. I suspect that this entire investigation is a witch hunt.

Howard said the investigation is a follow-up on some allegations made by some students and reports from Student Development. She said Internal Affairs Committee is not looking at the incident as an election investigation. Instead, the committee is looking at it as an RSO investigation.

Student Development caught it first, and then they came to the USG office and informed me of it, Howard said. It was then decided that an investigation was needed by the [committee] since it was a potential problem with an RSO.

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The initial allegations include forgery on documents turned in to Student Development authorizing the transfer of money. Howard said that as investigation into the RSO has proceeded, there are more incidents in question.

As our investigation has proceeded we may have found that there was more than one forgery, Howard said.

Akers said he believed that the allegations were being made by members of the Progress Party, which claimed victory in the election.

I think [the allegations] are coming from the Progress Party because they are in hot water with the election, Akers said. They are trying to eliminate us because they are in hot water and we came in second place.

Some members of the Shakedown and Saluki Parties have alleged that election fraud took place.

The investigation began last week, before the election, Howard said.

Howard said any time a complaint is made against an RSO, the Internal Affairs Committee automatically must audit the RSO. During the audit several other discrepancies have been found, Howard said.

There is nothing showing where some of their money is going, Howard said.

BIB received $6,000 last year from USG. This year it received $2,300 from USG. The RSO appealed the $2,300 amount to USG, stating it was not enough to cover their scheduled programs.

Haywood said BIB has been the number one RSO in the College of Business for the last seven years and has won the College of Business Cup for the last eight years.

The Internal Affairs Committee is in charge of recognizing RSOs and oversees the RSO constitutions, membership guidelines and activities. The committee also is responsible for making recommendations to USG on the status of the RSOs.

Student Development also reported the incident to Student Judicial Affairs.

There will be an open hearing for Blacks Interested in Business by USG’s Internal Affairs Committee at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Student Center Activity Room C.