RIB Spokesperson, Dr. Murangira says investigations on Egide Igabe will continue while HEC says the accreditation of the said university is questionable.
Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) says it will continue investigating the case of a University Lecturer accused of forging documents to get jobs in different universities in the country, despite a foreign university confirming that it issued the doctorate to the suspect.
On Monday, RIB, through its Spokesperson, Dr. Thierry B. Murangira, said it still has reasonable grounds to investigate one Egide Igabe on suspicion of using forged documents, particularly the Equivalence certificate , which he reportedly used to get teaching jobs.
RIB confirmed the continued investigation after the Atlantic International University (AIU), which now the High Education Council (HEC), said is not fully accredited, confirmed that it conferred Igabe with a PhD.
“The arrest of Egide Igabe is based on reasonable grounds for suspicion of using forged documents seeking employment in different Universities in Rwanda, this has instigated the investigation on the authenticity of his degree,” Dr. Murangira told KT Press on Monday.
“Igabe has also confessed to using forged equivalent documents seeking jobs in different universities in the Country,” the RIB Spokesperson said, adding that the suspect confessed to have forged Equivalence from HEC to get jobs as a lecturer, which instigated to question the authenticity of his PhD degree.
RIB, which had earlier said that it was his PhD that was in question, says that available evidence suggests that Igabe knew well that he wouldn’t acquire the equivalence because the University which he says he got the PhD from is not accredited.
HEC speaks out
The High Education Council (HEC) on Monday released a statement on the matter, which has since become the centre of a social media debate after the university spoke out via Twitter. In a statement to the general public, HEC said that an assessment done showed that the controversial university is not accredited by credible institutions.
“HEC would like to inform the public that: After its thorough analysis and verifications regarding the accreditation status of the “Atlantic International University” HEC found out that this institution is not accredited in the United States of America by the USA Agency in charge of accreditation of institutions of Higher Learning,”
“Further to this, the claimed accrediting Agency for Atlantic International University”, which is ASIC (Accreditation Service for International Colleges) is not a Government Agency in charge of accreditation of institutions of Higher Learning in the United Kingdom (UK) or any other country,” the national education body said.
HEC however said that although some graduates managed to get equivalences of their degrees issued by the “Atlantic International University”, based on the above information, all Equivalences issued to graduates from “Atlantic International University” were withdrawn.
“HEC would like to advise all Rwandans wishing to further their studies to always be more cautious while registering with any Higher Learning Institutions, especially those claiming to offer their teaching online,” the statement added.
The equivalence certificate reportedly forged by Egide Igabe.
A copy of the said forged Equivalence certificate seen by KT Press showed that while the certificate is issued by the Executive Director of HEC, Dr. Rose Mukankomeje, it is signed by Dr. Innocent Sebasaza Mugisha.
HEC did not address the forgery allegations in its statement.
