Kuwait: Minister Of Education Refers Forged Certificates To Public Prosecutor (image: screengrab from video@MOEKUWAIT)

Adel Al-Adwani, Kuwait Minister of Education and Higher Education and Scientific Researcher, has approved the recommendation from the Ministry of Education’s investigation committee regarding the high school certificates issued by the Arab countries and certified by the General Administration of Private Education. Certificates issued by Gulf and Arab countries and other regions have been referred to the Public Prosecution, their equivalency withdrawn, and relevant authorities contacted to correct the procedures.

Adwani stressed that he is taking concrete measures in enforcing the law and is committed to fight the violations to continue the reform process and build the country’s future. He also approved the Legal Sector at the Ministry of Higher Education’s recommendation to refer post-secondary school certificates to the Public Prosecution for submitting falsified documents and altering certificate data to obtain equivalency.

Reiterating his commitment to combating the phenomenon of forged certificates, Adwani noted that referring these violating certificates to the Public Prosecution is only the first stage. Further referrals will follow to eliminate such threat to the education system and labour market.

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The aim is to uphold integrity and transparency in society by imposing strict oversight and control over work procedures, ensuring that unqualified individuals are not gaining from opportunities unfairly. The move seeks to maintain the integrity, quality, and productivity of work, positively impacting the labour market and national economy.

Kuwait has been fighting the battle of curbing the fake certificate for a long time. Earlier this year, Al-Qabas daily reported that examining employee certificates has become a top priority of the country. Sources told the outlet that higher directives have been issued to identify employees who refuse to submit their certificates, and legal measures will be taken against them. The examination and audit process will be accelerated, and employees found to have forged their certificates will be referred to the Public Prosecution.

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Those who are involved in the certificate forgery will face three charges including, seizing public funds, forgery, and fraud to obtain unlawful gains and privileges. The penalty for such offenses can be up to seven years in prison, along with the return of double the salaries and bonuses obtained, said the report.