Four mainland students have been arrested for allegedly using fake Hong Kong academic qualifications to enrol in a local university, while another 20 students allegedly involved in the alleged fraud have reportedly returned to the mainland, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lou Chan Fai said during a press conference yesterday.
According to local and Hong Kong media reports over the weekend, the case involves the private Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Taipa.
The four arrested students, two males and two females aged eighteen and nineteen, hail from Hebei, Jiangxi, Shenzhen, and Zhejiang.
Hong Kong’s Education Bureau (EDB) chief on Saturday said there that over 20 non-Macau students were suspected of applying for admission to MUST with bogus Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) certificates.
According to Lou, upon receiving information from the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), the university initiated an investigation confirming the falsified academic qualifications in the applications, suspected of involving document forgery, and reported the case to the local police on October 29. Lou noted that a total of 24 mainland students holding fake academic credentials, comprising 13 males and 11 females, had enrolled in various first-year university courses.
On October 31, four of the students were apprehended in the MUST dormitory, while Lou added that 20 students had meanwhile returned to the mainland.
Under questioning, the students told the police that their parents had previously engaged intermediaries from the mainland to secure admissions using falsified academic qualifications and grades.
The four suspects have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing document forgery charges, Lou said.
Lou urged young people to adhere to the law and personal integrity, cautioning against the use of forged documents in university and job applications, underlining the severe negative impact a criminal record can have on personal development.
This photo taken yesterday shows the private Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) campus in Taipa. – Photo: William Chan
