- According to the commission, where an officer has earned salaries and benefits by use of suspected forged certificates, such are recoverable in full.
- Several arrests have already been made across the country in regard to this.
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The Ethics and Anticorruption Commission (EACC) has termed as untrue reports that it has offered amnesty to all public officers who might have secured employment using suspected fake academic papers.
The report published in one of the media outlets pointed out that the commission promised to drop cases against the individuals only if they returned all the monies earned in salary in full.
However, in a statement, the commission noted that while the law permits the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such was only limited to civil matters.
This is in cases that involve recovery of public property lost or stolen through corrupt conduct, it states in response to a report in some section of the media, EACC
“EACC is not aware of the “amnesty offer” referred to in the attached story…where necessary, seek more information and or clarifications from the commission to avoid misleading the public,” it reads.
It has emphasized that the use of ADR does not, however, stop the agency from recommending criminal prosecution against the suspects.
According to the commission, where an officer has earned salaries and benefits by use of forged certificates, such are recoverable in full.
“If a suspect engages the commission for ADR to voluntarily surrender what they have earned over the years, it is only the civil recovery cases that will not continue,” the statement further reads.
“ADR by EACC does not extinguish criminal culpability,” it adds.
Several arrests have already been made across the country in regard to this.
It follows the move by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to invite the agency and the DCI to launch investigations after an audit found that more than 2,000 staffers in the public service have forged papers.
PSC chairperson Anthony Muchiri said the individuals used the alleged fake academic papers to secure jobs, promotions and re-designations.
This comes after a revelation from the Kenya National Qualifications Authority that about 30 per cent of academic certificates held by Kenyans are falsified after a validation process.
KNQA acting director general Alice Kande said there has been a noticeable rise in the prevalence of alleged counterfeit academic and professional certificates.
“The escalating numbers of graduates holding credentials yet facing unemployment have contributed to the proliferation of fraudulent activities in this regard,” Kande said.
She noted that the proliferation of academic qualifications is injurious to the country because besides undermining the credibility and integrity of the higher education system, it puts the lives of Kenyans and citizens of other jurisdictions at high risk.
Some two weeks ago, the commission summoned 143 individuals whom it suspects secured employment by presenting suspicious and questionable academic qualifications.
DCI also arrested four suspects recently for allegedly using forged credentials to acquire public service jobs at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and were arraigned at Eldoret law courts.
The suspects, DCI said, were charged with the offences of forgery of academic certificates, making of false documents, uttering of false documents and fraudulent acquisition of public property.