Jatikay Centre demands probe into forged certificates used in security recruitment

The Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building has called for a comprehensive review of Ghana’s security services recruitment and vetting system following the discovery of forged and doctored WASSCE results among some recruits.

The Centre, in a statement dated Wednesday, September 9 said authorities must establish how applicants using fraudulent credentials were able to pass through the recruitment process and reach training institutions.

It wants academic qualifications to be verified with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) at an early stage, before applicants are allowed to progress through subsequent stages of recruitment.

Jatikay also called for investigations into the affected cases and prosecution where criminal wrongdoing is established, stressing that dismissal from training should not be the end of the matter.

“Forging or knowingly using a forged academic certificate may constitute a criminal offence,” the Centre said.

It further raised concerns about the national security implications of admitting individuals who falsify their qualifications into institutions where personnel have access to weapons, intelligence, restricted facilities and sensitive information.

The Centre is demanding an urgent audit to determine how many fraudulent applications were detected, how many applicants managed to get through the existing checks, how many may still be in training and what safeguards will be introduced to prevent a recurrence.

It said the recruitment process should follow a simple principle, “Verify before you recruit; Vet before you train; Prosecute proven fraud.”

The call follows Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak’s disclosure that several recruits had been dismissed after WAEC verification showed that results submitted during the security services recruitment exercise had been forged or doctored.