The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has responded to inquiries in various media platforms on the arrest and arraignment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Manager who forged a master’s degree certificate and used it to secure employment at the agency.
In a statement dated October 16, EACC announced that it plans to file a petition to recover the salary and benefits the officer accumulated during her tenure at IEBC.
“The Commission will file civil proceedings in court to recover the Ksh37 million she earned as salary and benefits on the basis of the forged degree certificate, proceeds of crime,” reads the statement in parts.
Besides, EACC said most of those seeking clarifications on the matter allude to the presence of her name in the graduation list and availability of a master’s degree thesis under her name in the University library and portal.
The Commission clarified that although the officer went through her Master of Arts degree program in population studies at the University of Nairobi (UoN) and her name included in the graduation list, the University did not conclusively clear her for graduation.
“This was due to an unresolved disciplinary issue involving research funds. She was, therefore, not conferred with the degree,” EACC said.
Additionally, she went ahead and made a degree certificate for herself after failing to graduate. She purported that the degree was genuine and awarded by the UoN on May 9, 2004.
EACC explained that the said officer thereafter used the forged degree certificate to secure a job at IEBC.
Further, the suspect used the forged degree certificate to register for a PhD Program at the same University.
Also Read: Senior IEBC Official Arrested Over Forged Certificates
EACC Arrests Suspect
The senior IEBC officer was arrested on Monday October 14 and charged with forgery and uttering a false document contrary to the law.
This was after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) concurred with the Commission’s recommendation for prosecution.
The Commission revealed that she is among over 2,000 government officials with cases of forgery of academic certificates either in court or under investigations.
According to the EACC, forgery of academic certificates by students who have not graduated is among the common forms of academic fraud in Kenya.
Also Read: EACC Lists Professionals That Top in Stealing Public Funds
Case Proceedings
She was charged at the Nairobi Anti-Corruption Court on October 14 and pleaded not guilty to all charges before Principal Magistrate Isabellah Barasa and was released on a cash bail of Ksh200,000 or an alternative bond of Ksh1 million.
The case is scheduled for mention on October 28 for pre-trial.
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