The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has brought charges against an employee of the Office of the Auditor General for allegedly using a forged academic certificate to obtain public employment fraudulently.
According to the commission, investigations revealed that the suspect forged a KCSE certificate and purported it to be a genuine document issued by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), which they used to secure employment at the institution.
Following the conclusion of initial detailed investigations, the commission forwarded the file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which, upon review, approved charges against the suspect.
The employee was charged with the fraudulent acquisition of public property, amounting to Ksh8,698,662.91, which was unlawfully paid to them by the Office of the Auditor General.
They were also charged with forgery and uttering a false document, and later booked at the Integrity Centre Police Station before being arraigned at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court.
''The Commission forwarded the file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), who, upon review, approved charges against the suspect. These include fraudulent acquisition of public property amounting to Ksh8,698,662.91, unlawfully paid to [them] by the Office of the Auditor General; forgery; and uttering a false document,'' EACC confirmed.
"[They] pleaded not guilty to the charges and was subsequently released on a cash bail of Ksh100,000, with an alternative bond of Ksh500,000," the commission added.
Nairobi County Staff
The developments come less than a day after a staff member of the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited (NCWSC) was charged with forgery and fraudulent acquisition of public property after it emerged that she acquired her position using a fake certificate.
The suspect, who served in various roles including as a revenue collection assistant, technician, and marketing assistant, was presented before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday to answer to the charges of acquiring property amounting to Ksh7.5 million through fraudulent means.
Court documents also revealed that the suspect had forged her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) with a fake name, falsely claiming to have achieved a mean grade of C+ in the national exam.
On Thursday last week, a former Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) official was sentenced for fraudulently earning a salary and allowances using a forged academic qualification.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) confirmed the conviction, revealing that the case stemmed from a scheme in which the accused unlawfully received Ksh1,455,066.05 in salaries and allowances between April 1 and August 31, 2022.
Meanwhile, EACC has assured Kenyans that it will continue to step up the war against graft in the country.
