The government has resolved to prosecute employees in government institutions in possession of forged academic documents.

This was unveiled during presentation of a report on the authentication, verification and endorsement of academic documents before the cabinet meeting on Friday.

The report indicates that more than 400 hundred fake certificates ranging from diplomas, degrees, and even PhDs forged academic credentials are circulating in public institutions.

Michael Makuei blames the poor performances in public offices on the presence of the forged documents in the hands of some of the employees.

“That is very clear in the performances of all the staff in some of those who acquire these certificates in fraudulent ways are the people who fail to deliver in the offices,” he told reporters in Juba.

In August 2020, the office of the Vice President for Service Cluster said it was going to investigate into reported forged academic certificates.

This came after a report carried out by the Ministry of General Education and Instructions, detailing how some civil servants acquired fake academic documents.

The ministry said the falsified papers include secondary and university certificates from Sudanese, Ugandan and South Sudanese learning institutions.

Individuals with fake documents are allegedly working in several ministries, including general education, higher education, and foreign affairs and international cooperation.

In 2016, Uganda’s National Council of Higher Education opened an investigation into the manner in which more than 1,000 South Sudanese were admitted to Busoga University and went on to graduate in a space of just two months.

The results of the investigations remain unclear.

According to the South Sudan Penal Code, whoever commits forgery intending that the document forged shall be used for the purpose of cheating commits an offense.

It states that, upon conviction, the accused shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years and may also be liable to a fine.