BY IGNATIUS SSUUNA Police are holding a university lecturer and a consultant attached to Ministry of Education for allegedly using fake academic transcripts. The suspects are Emmanuel Gakwaya, a lecturer at National University of Rwanda (NUR), and consultant Rambeli Gatera, who had been hired as a financial consultant at the Education ministry. Gakwaya was arrested in Huye District in Southern Province, while Gatera was held from Kigali City, Police Spokesman Inspector Marcel Higiro, confirmed yesterday. Higiro said the duo was indeed arrested over forgery. Education Minister Dr Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya also confirmed the news on Tuesday. She said the two were arrested following a close scrutiny of their academic papers. She admitted that Gatera was a consultant with her ministry, and had been hired to head a finance unit. “Yes; the two were arrested because they have been masquerading as qualified people but when we checked, it was discovered they had forged papers,” said the minister, adding that Gatera was found to be a senior six dropout from a secondary school in Rwamagana District, Eastern Provice. “That man is actually a secondary school dropout and has never attended any university. Everything he says stinks,” the minister said. While Gatera’s documents are said to be indicating that he is a Masters holder in Business Administration, Gakwaya’s paper reportedly show that he holds a PhD in Business Administration from UK. By pres time, the names of universities where the two obtained their alleged forged credentials were not readily available. But the minister said the university where Gakwaya claims to have attended disowned him. Following his arrest, Gatera is also reported to have confessed that he had never enrolled to any university in his life. Gatera was about to receive his first monthly salary of more that Frw 700,000. “How can you be proud of a degree or diploma that you have not worked for? We cannot tolerant this,” Mujawamariya warned. She further said that the government was disappointed that some employees were reportedly masquerading as first-class graduates but cannot withstand the challenges associated with work. Early this year, Information minister Prof. Laurent Nkusi told journalists on February 28 that there were thousands of employees in possession of forged academic transcripts. The minister said the problem had been discussed during the Fourth Government Retreat at Akagera Game Lodge early this year. Mujawamariya said the government would soon get to the ‘root of the problem’ by exposing all civil servants who use doctored transcripts. There are also widespread reports that expatriates working in the country, especially at tertiary institutions, also hold fake papers.
