A man, who worked as a dental technician for 17 years, has been accused of using a fake academic certificate to acquire a licence to practice his occupation.
The 51-year-old Filipino yesterday appeared at the High Criminal Court where he is standing trial on charges of providing false information to be entered into a government database.
The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) was first alerted of the alleged fraud when it received an email from a fellow Filipino who claimed that the defendant’s certificate was fake.
After consulting with a specialised company, NHRA reportedly confirmed that his credentials were not genuine. However, when he was summoned by NHRA for questioning during which he had adamantly maintained that his certificate was genuine.
When the case was referred to the Public Prosecution, the defendant is said to have admitted to the charges, and gave a detailed account of what had taken place. “In order to obtain a dental technician’s licence, you have to have a university degree,” he said.
“In 2004 or 2005, my friend back in the Philippines agreed to give me his university certificate, and I used that document to renew my licence each year.”
He reportedly admitted to filling the application forms with the false information and attaching the certificate, even though it did not belong to him, renewing the licence annually for more than a decade and a half. A prosecution investigation also confirmed that the defendant’s transcript and degree documents were forgeries.
A NHRA Health Profession Regulation Department official testified that the defendant submitted the documentation in 2006, and was issued a licence in 2007.
He continued renewing his licence until mid-2022, when NHRA suspended it after receiving the email. He was charged with falsifying data in a form he submitted to the Health Ministry’s Registration and Licensing Department, and using the falsified document to obtain a dental technician’s permit on incorrect grounds.
The High Criminal Court adjourned the hearing to Monday, when the defendant’s court-appointed lawyer will represent him before judges. The defendant remains remanded in custody.
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