The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has charged a senior government analyst/personal assistant to the chairperson of Commission on Revenue Allocation (CoA).
The allegations according to ODPP implicated the civil servant to have used forged academic documents to get employment.
Jecinter Adoyo Hezron, was found to have used a fake Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Master of Arts in Development Studies degree certificates from the University of Nairobi to secure employment at CRA as a senior analyst in August 2017.
The DPP directed that the suspect be charged inter alia with fraudulent Acquisition of public property contrary to Section 45(1) as read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act 2003 and forgery contrary to section 345 as read with 349 of the Penal Code.
Further, the ODPP has also directed the accused person to be charged with uttering a false document contrary to section 353 of the Penal code.
DPP on Cases of Academic Fraud
In October 2023, ODPP together with Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) was investigating up to 172 cases of alleged forgery of academic certificates.
The commissions said they had identified six categories of academic fraud as the most prevalent in Kenya.
They include altering high school grades on KCSE certificates to gain entry into the University and impersonating people named on certificates, including the dead.
This development comes after EACC cautioned the Head of Public Service and all civil service accounting officers against disbursing benefits to employees departing amidst allegations of falsified academic and professional qualifications.
Also Read: EACC Arrests Nine Govt Officials
EACC Issue Directive on Payment of Benefits
In a communiqué dated March 11, 2024, the commission reiterated its warning against facilitating payments to civil servants opting for early retirement or resignation in light of pending investigations into purportedly falsified academic and professional records.
EACC Chairperson Dr. David Oginde had announced earlier that the commission would collaborate closely with the Public Service Commission (PSC) to scrutinize the authenticity of academic and professional certificates held by public officials.
Dr. Oginde said the commission had received from the PSC a report on the authentication of academic and Professional Certificates.
“The law allows EACC to recover all salaries and benefits earned based on fake academic qualifications. In addition, the offenders are liable to criminal prosecution,” Oginde said.
Also Read: ODPP Unveils Plan to Provide Free Legal Aid
He added that the authentication exercise, undertaken by PSC, revealed numerous cases of public officials who forged academic documents to secure jobs and promotions.
According to PSC, at least 2,100 civil servants have fake academic papers. President William Ruto ordered government workers with forged papers to surrender and refund salaries and allowances earned.
On his part, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria threatened to name all the 2,000 civil servants with questionable credentials.
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