Africa-Press – Angola. The Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) recently arrested two national citizens, aged 22 and 65, accused of involvement in the forgery of certificates, diplomas and stamps of national and foreign higher education institutions.
The suspects were discovered in a printing shop in the city of Huambo, where they had allegedly ordered the production of new institutional stamps. They were later arrested in the municipality of Menongue, Cubango province, as part of a criminal intelligence operation.
During the operation, 12 stamps (including white seals), 51 certificates of academic qualifications, 29 diplomas, all university diplomas, two CPUs, two keyboards, a monitor, a laminator and a screen were seized.
Speaking to the press, the head of the SIC-Huambo Heritage Department, Chief Inspector of Criminal Investigation João Baptista Chissambo, said that the documents were intended to simulate the authenticity of institutions such as Agostinho Neto University (Angola), Malbough University (United States of America), as well as several higher education institutions in South Africa, Namibia and Zambia.
He explained that the forged documents would be sold in various regions of the country, with an emphasis on the newly created provinces of Cuando and Moxico-Leste, where those involved expected to find greater demand for university qualification certificates.
João Baptista Chissambo said that one of the individuals involved is currently unaccounted for, while efforts are underway to locate him, identify the printing company involved, and determine the number of beneficiaries of the forged documents.
The official urged the public to refrain from such practices, as a truly good professional is not measured solely by certification, but by competence.
He added that the country is not built through fraud, but through people committed to doing good.
In brief statements, the youngest suspect alleged that he was contacted by his cellmate, aged 65, who introduced himself as a teacher and asked him to print documents at the company where he works, at around 11 pm, saying it was a mini-agenda.
This is the first case of its kind recorded this year in the province of Huambo, which is home to the José Eduardo dos Santos University, whose organic units are the public faculties of Agricultural Sciences, Law, Economics, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Higher Polytechnic Institute.
Known as Angola’s academic city, it also has the Higher Institute of Educational Sciences (ISCED) in the public domain, while the private ones are the Higher Institutes of Technologies and Humanities (ISUPEKuikui II), Caála, Lusíadas, Sol Nascente, Católico and Twapandula.
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