MEC sends only 145 fake title cases to prosecutor's office instead of 250 announced

Paraguay's Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC) has officially submitted a complaint to the Public Ministry, targeting the first 145 individuals implicated in a scheme involving the falsification of academic titles. This action is part of a broader investigation into a network of 250 fraudulent teaching credentials that has recently come to light, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the education system.

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The irregularities surfaced after an audit of files conducted by the General Directorate of Personnel Management and Development of the MEC.

The formal complaint, lodged by MEC's legal counsel, details suspicions of criminal offenses related to the production and use of false documents. Internal audits within the MEC identified significant inconsistencies in the university degrees presented by staff for employment and career advancement. These irregularities included invalid legal standing, fabricated classroom histories, and cloned signatures and dates, prompting the ministry to refer the cases for legal action.

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The first list of 145 accused is part of the large fraud scheme uncovered this week by the educational authorities themselves, where Minister Luis Ramírez confirmed that the global figure already reaches 250 false titles of teachers who must account for themselves before ordinary Justice.

Minister Luis Ramírez has highlighted the gravity of the situation, noting that a substantial number of those accused are currently teaching in state schools. The MEC is actively cross-referencing data through the Unique Student Registry (RUE) and has opened lines of inquiry into potentially up to 1,500 false titles. Individuals found guilty of producing or using inauthentic documents face a minimum prison sentence of two years, signaling a strict approach to combating educational fraud.

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The MEC head warned about the seriousness of the scenario due to the role played by those involved in society.