Teachers providing fake certificates to face 10-yr jail term

ABU DHABI — Teachers or administrative staff at educational institutions found guilty of submitting fake certificates and documents in order to secure jobs would face stiff punishments including three to 10-year prison terms.

By Ahmed Abdul Aziz

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Mon 28 May 2007, 8:33 AM

Last updated: Sun 5 Apr 2015, 4:28 AM

The Ministry of Education (MoE) warned yesterday that teachers who had submitted fake certificates to the ministry would be asked to appear before the public prosecution office and will face legal action.

The MoE will check and verify all certificates and documents provided by teachers or staff at private and public schools across the country. Khoula Al Moala, assistant under-secretary of the Educational Administration at the ministry, affirmed that Education Minister Dr Hanif Hassan had directed the legal department to carefully scrutinise all such documents and certificates at the time of recruitment.

Dr Hassan, according to a source, has stressed on the necessity of immediately informing MoE officials about any cases involving fake or forged certificates and documents.

Tarek Nassar, a legal adviser, clarified the the difference between faked official documents and other fake certificates or documents: The first category refers primarily to documents issued within the UAE by the official authorities here.

Any person who submits a faked official document or certificate may face a three to 10-year prison term. Similarly, for those cases involving faked certificates or documents issued abroad, the defaulter may face upto three years in prison, in addition to a penal fine ranging from Dh5,000 to Dh10,000.

A photocopy of a faked documents may also lead to a five year-prison term.

Ahmed Al Hamli, director of the legal department at the MoE, said, “The ministry strives to ensure that all certificates and official documents that are submitted are genuine.” However, a number of fake certificates and documents, the source added, have been discovered during this verification process.

Meanwhile, educationists and school administrators have hailed the MoE decision.

Obaid Obaid Mouftah, principle of Ibn Rushd preliminary school based in Abu Dhabi, said this was surely a right step in the right direction.


More news from