Over allegation of bogus doctorate from US University
In a high-profile probe, a Cabinet appointed Director-General of a key Ministry has been questioned by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption for allegedly submitting a bogus certificate claiming a doctorate from a University in USA.
This high-ranking official had also served as the Secretary of the Transport Ministry in 2005 on the strength of this collective spurious academic achievement, it has come to light.
“Our investigators questioned D. S. Jayaweera, the Finance and Planning Ministry’s Director-General in charge of the Department of Development Finance”, a senior Bribery and Corruption Commission official said last week.
“We have recorded his statement following a complaint that his doctorate is bogus”, he noted. “An investigation is ongoing”.
Jayaweera’s claim that “he had been a fellow of the Special Program for Urban and Regional Planning and had followed courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA, leading to the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Transportation Planning” is a total fabrication, according to the complaint made to the Commission.
MIT had confirmed in writing that the certificate sent to the Institute for verification “appears to be a forgery”. No such letter was issued to him. He was never enrolled in the doctoral degree program but had participated in the non-degree program, it says.
Asked on the course of action to be initiated, the official declined further comment saying, “We are bound by an oath of secrecy on investigations”.
“I can only say Jayaweera was questioned and follow-up action will be initiated on the complaint”, he said. “We are doing what needs to be done on our part”.
Social Services and Welfare Minister Felix Perera said yesterday that he personally wrote to MIT as Transport Minister in July 2005 following reliable information that his Ministry Secretary had submitted a forged doctoral degree certificate from a US University.
He clearly recalled this incident where MIT confirmed that the Secretary had not been awarded a doctorate as he had merely participated in a “semester program”. “This was proven after his passport was examined”.
Asked what happened following this startling discovery, the Minister replied, “It happened during the Presidency of Chandrika Kumaratunga. I was moved out to another Ministry and as far as I know, the Secretary remained”.
Perera said that the official frank used by the Secretary had the prefix “Dr.” before his name. This was also supported by other documentation where the prefix had also been used by him.
Attempts to reach Jayaweera were futile, but Deputy Treasury Secretary, P. A. Abeyratne acknowledged that the DG had been questioned by the Bribery and Corruption Commission investigators over a “doctoral issue”.
He said that he was unaware of any forgery but the DG does not officially use the prefix ‘Dr.’ at the Finance and Planning Ministry. “This was an appointment by the Cabinet”.
The complainant, it is learnt, had placed before the Commission credible evidence of Jayaweera using the prefix ‘Dr.’ for many years. “This led to his interrogation”.
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