PROSECUTORS have received reports of students trying to obtain academic qualifications “without going through proper procedures”.
Advocate General Dr Ahmed Al Hammadi said the Education Ministry has alerted the Public Prosecution of such incidents over the years, and as recently as February.
He said in a statement issued yesterday that the Public Prosecution is investigating all cases related to this issue and that several of them have been referred to the High Criminal Court.
It comes as strict action has been pledged by the Higher Education Council (HEC) against public and private sector employees holding fake degrees, which might have been obtained from fictitious or unaccredited universities abroad.
The GDN reported last week that a government investigation has been ordered into reports that professionals including teachers, engineers, doctors, IT specialists and human resources directors of various nationalities secured their positions using fake Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Meanwhile, board members of the Bahrain Society of Engineers (BSE) yesterday discussed procedures to implement a new system for receiving membership applications and auditing qualifications.
It said in a statement that it will also have more co-ordination with the Higher Education Council’s accreditation and licensing department in order to check the accreditation of degrees and universities.
“In order to come up with a more integral system of qualification review, the BSE will develop a more comprehensive mechanism to ensure that the correct decisions about membership applications are made,” it said.
“It can also be said that the BSE has continuously rejected those applications not meeting qualification requirements.”
The Bahrain Association of Banks also said yesterday that government bodies concerned should have raised red flags early on in detecting and dealing with the fake degrees issue.
“With the rapid change in technology several people opted for online study in order to get academic certificates to enhance their careers,” said its chief executive officer Waheed Al Qassim.
“Right now the issue is a bit complex because many professionals completed their studies abroad and need to validate those certificates from the Higher Education Council.
“I think there should be a central body to verify credentials especially with change in technology.”
The GDN previously reported that a large number of employees in the public and private sectors allegedly held fake degrees from fictitious universities, particularly the “Columbus and Nixon universities”.
The New York Times has also named more than 200 fictitious universities with links to Pakistan-based company Axact, which has been described as the empire of the fake degree business.
Pakistani authorities have shut down the firm and arrested its executive director and dozens of employees.
The US daily also said that it has compelling evidence that shows how Axact reaped millions of dollars selling fake degrees to
people in 100 countries, including some Arab states.
people in 100 countries, including some Arab states.
Education Ministry Under-Secretary for Education and Curricula Affairs Dr Fawzi Al Jowder earlier said that it was wrong to pin the blame on Bahrain’s National Accreditation Committee, which is responsible for officially recognising academic certificates.
He said the committee made up of officials representing different departments scrutinised all qualifications to ensure they were obtained from licensed universities, which are accredited in their countries of origin.
The GDN reported in 2010 that about 30 university certificates suspected of being fake were under investigation.
At the time, the Education Ministry said it suspected some private universities of issuing dubious degrees, violating the HEC’s administrative and academic procedures.
In 2008, eight Bahrainis were named in a list of people who had allegedly bought fake academic certificates from the US.
Their names were among 9,612 people in Gulf countries who had allegedly purchased degrees and diplomas from the US.
ghazi@gdn.com.bh
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