Kicukiro Primary Court on Tuesday, January 25, sent on a 30-day remand, Egide Igabe who is suspected of forging documents after the judge denied his bail. During the hearing, which took place on January 20, Igabe admitted the crime and explained how he did it. The documents he forged include the equivalence certificate from the High Education Council (HEC) that confirms that he has a PhD certificate obtained from Atlantic International University (AIU) in the United States, which he wanted to use to get employment in different institutions of higher learning in the country. The presiding judge said that basing on the confessions by the accused, there was reasonable grounds to suspect that he committed the crime and thereby sent him on remand as investigations continue. The prosecution had previously requested for his remand, saying that there was a likelihood that he may escape justice if granted bail. Igabe was arrested on January 5 and he will remain in custody for 30 days as further investigation are being carried out. Meanwhile, HEC recently released a statement cancelling all academic equivalences it had issued to graduates from AIU, saying the American-based institution was not accredited by any agency of authority. The withdrawal of AIU’s equivalence follows an AIU tweet to The New Times confirming that Igabe completed his PhD studies at their university.
