EACC to ‘Forgive’ Fake Academic Paper Holders in Public Service

Integrity Centre, the headquarters of EACC along Jakaya Kikwete Rd, Nairobi. (Photo: Public)

EACC to ‘Forgive’ Fake Academic Papers Holders in Public Service

JUSTUS KIPRONOMar 20, 20241 Mins read571

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) will at least forgive those who used fake academic certificates to secure employment in the civil service by not pressing criminal charges against them.

According to the public anti-corruption watchdog, people who submitted falsified academic credentials to the Public Service Commission (PSC), got recruited to hold public offices, and are still on active duty should step down immediately and organize with them how they will refund all the money they earned while working unlawfully to avoid standing trial for fraud.

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“Our major interest is to reclaim all public resources acquired illegally because jailing people won’t restore the money,” North Rift EACC Regional Manager Charles Rasugu states.

EACC, which investigates corruption in government institutions to promote integrity and accountability, says falsified academic credentials have become common and ever-increasing after the Public Service Commission reported that there were 2,000 bogus diplomas, degrees, and other professional certificates used by suspects to get jobs as civil servants, especially in the North Rift.

“We have recently realized that there are so many civil servants in this region who have been earning salaries for many years using forged academic papers. We are appealing to those employees to surrender the salaries earned illegally,” said Mr Rasugu.

Even though EACC seeks to consider alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve their cases and recover the funds and assets obtained fraudulently by corruption, its spokesperson, Eric Ngumbi, warned the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) does not waive criminal culpability and one can still be prosecuted.

On his part, the commission’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Twalib Mbarak ordered all government institutions to stop paying salaries to those suspected of having fake academic qualifications until they are through with investigations.

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Written by

JUSTUS KIPRONO -

Justus Kiprono is a freelance journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya. He tracks Capital Markets and economic trends, infrastructure reform, government spending, and the financial impacts of state decision-making nationwide. You can reach him: [email protected]