LONDON, Ont. - The president of Western University in London, Ontario has offered a mea culpa after he was paid nearly one million dollars because he didn't take a sabbatical.
The amount was double Amit Chakma's normal salary.
The double pay raised eyebrows when Chakma was revealed as a member of Ontario's annual sunshine list of public salaries over 100-thousand dollars.
Chakma, who was paid double his salary because he worked through a scheduled one-year leave, admitted that was a mistake and said he was "profoundly sorry."
He had refused interview requests since the list came out, and said yesterday that he wanted his first public comments to be to the university senate.
He has returned half of his salary.
Dozens of protesters stood up and turned their backs to Chakma as he spoke at the senate meeting.
Western's board of governors has hired former judge Stephen Goudge to review the president's compensation practices.
