Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The Namibian Police have issued a warning against the forgery of academic documents.
The spokesperson for the Namibian Police, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, issued the warning after the arrest of a cadet constable on Monday at the Ruben Danger Ashipala Police Training Centre in the Oshana Region.
“Forgery and uttering are criminal offences, and therefore applicants to whatever position in the public service should desist from forging documents because it is a criminal offence. Once detected, the law applies accordingly. This is how serious it is. Hence, the charging of the cadet constable,” said Shikwambi.
Yule Nashidhiga (28) was charged with submitting a forged Grade 12 certificate during his application to join the police between March and June 2023.
According to Shikwambi, despite being appointed and undergoing training, discrepancies in his qualifications were discovered during the verification process conducted by the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture.
He appeared before the Oshakati Magistrate Court and was granted bail of N$1,500.
The case has been postponed to August 29 August.
Oshana regional police spokesperson, Thomas Aiyambo stated that if found guilty, it would remain on Nashidhiga’s record for life.
Aiyambo emphasised that the police force does not condone criminal behaviour and stressed the importance of thorough verification procedures in recruitment processes.
“The police force will not recruit criminals and should be clear to everyone who has a similar opinion. That’s the reason why verification has to be done,” said Aiyambo.
