Jatikay Centre calls for prosecution over forged certificates in security recruitment

The Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building has urged for legal action against individuals who have used counterfeit academic documents to secure admission into Ghana’s security services training facilities. This call came after the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, announced the dismissal of some recruits discovered to have submitted falsified or altered results from the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

While the Jatikay Centre commended these dismissals, Executive Director Adib Saani emphasized that a mere dismissal was not enough, highlighting the necessity for improved recruitment and vetting processes. Saani questioned the current systems, proposing that they should be modified to verify academic credentials with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) immediately, as opposed to allowing doubtful credentials to advance to training.

He framed this as a matter of fairness, institutional integrity, and public trust, especially considering that qualified candidates are often left waiting while those with forged documents are admitted. Furthermore, the Centre called for a comprehensive investigation into these cases and prosecution of those knowingly involved in forging or using fraudulent certificates.

Saani cautioned that such actions, beyond being recruitment violations, could be criminal offenses and pose serious threats to national security by allowing individuals with integrity issues to access sensitive areas of security institutions. The Jatikay Centre is also demanding an immediate audit of the recruitment and vetting processes, seeking to determine the extent of fraudulent applications detected, the number of applicants who successfully completed the process, the status of ongoing trainees, and the measures being implemented to prevent future occurrences.

The Centre's stance is clear: rigorous verification of applicants before recruitment, thorough vetting prior to training, and prosecution of confirmed cases of fraud. "The security of the Republic begins with the integrity of the people we recruit to protect it," affirmed Saani.