Former Machakos Chief Officer charged with alleged forgery of academic certificates
Former Machakos Chief Officer charged with alleged forgery of academic certificates
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has charged the former Machakos County Chief Officer over allegations of using a fake academic certificate to obtain employment.
In a statement on Tuesday, September 1, EACC said the former county official is accused of forging a Bachelor of Commerce degree certificate (Accounting Option), purportedly issued by the University of Nairobi in 2004.
He is also accused of forging a Certified Public Accountants (CPA) Final Examination Certificate dated June 2019.
“Former Machakos County Government Chief Officer has been charged with allegedly using forged academic certificates to secure employment in the county government, “EACC stated.
According to the commission, investigations revealed that he used the certificates to secure an appointment as Chief Officer, Industry and Innovation, a position he held from January to November 2023.
During this period, the former county official earned salaries totalling over Ksh1.5 million.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) approved charges of fraudulent acquisition of public property, uttering a false document and forgery of academic certificates against the individual, leading to his arrest.
The former county official was arrested on Monday, August 31, and was arraigned at the Machakos Law Court on Tuesday, September 1, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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He was therefore released on a cash bail of Ksh1 million or an alternative bond of Ksh2 million with a surety of a similar amount.
However, EACC announced that it instituted civil proceedings to recover the salaries and other benefits allegedly obtained through the use of the fraudulent academic qualification.
The latest arrest comes amid EACC’s intensified crackdown on forged academic papers, with the focus mainly on public officials who use the documents to secure employment.
Recently, the commission arrested a former Deputy Director of Audit at the Office of the Auditor General over the same allegations.
Also, multiple officials, including employees at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company and Kaimosi Friends University, have been arrested and charged with forgery, uttering false documents, and the fraudulent acquisition of public funds through salaries earned on fake KCSE or degree certificates.
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