Dubai: A man went on trial after he was accused of obtaining a fake law degree, a Dubai Court of First Instance heard on Monday.
The 39-year-old Emirati defendant allegedly claimed he obtained his degree from a university in Egypt in 2015 through a distance learning programme, but the university confirmed they didn’t have any such programme.
In June 2018, the defendant submitted his “law degree certificate” to the UAE’s Ministry of Education for accreditation when officials in the ministry discovered it was fake.
Accreditation sought for fake degree
A 26-year-old legal researcher at the ministry testified: “He submitted his degree issued from a university in Egypt. He wanted an accreditation in the UAE. We contacted the Egyptian Embassy for clarification and they informed us that the degree was fake.”
He said the defendant was immediately reported to the Al Ghusais police station.
According to Dubai Public Prosecution, an official letter from the university’s deputy head of students and educational affairs said that the university does not have a distant study programme and the 2015 certificate presented was forged.
The defendant was charged with forging an official document with the help of an unknown man and using the forged document.
It is not clear if the defendant had managed to practise law in the country at any time in the last three years that he had been using this certificate.
The defendant has denied the charges against him. The trial has been deferred to April 11.
