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Remember the tablets that the Minister of Education distributed to students in February? Well, as we told you at least one of the students has put his one up on Facebook for sale. But it's not only tablets, it seems that you can get a fake diploma along with that. We were forwarded this facebook conversation between "Diploma Guy" – the one apparently supplying the fake diplomas and a potential buyer. According to Diploma Guy, he can supply a fake diploma from any university in Belize, America and Europe for $4,000. In response to this, the Ministry of Education sent out a press release stating quote "The MOE informs the general public that any person found in possession of any such documents under the Belize criminal Code …..will be liable to imprisonment for 2 years and those found guilty of being a common forger is liable to life imprisonment." Although that is a strict warning for the public, this also sends a warning to the Ministry to improve on verification standards. Here is what Education Minister Patrick Faber had to say.

Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education, Youth and Sports

"We did put out a release, as it related to the phoney diplomas. It is of course, something that has - to me is very long been going around. Not only in Belize but other areas of the world as well. But certainly we do not condone it and of course there is a mechanism set up in our ministry that can help to certify, verify that these documents that are coming from Belizean institutions are correct. Our ministry probably does need to step up it's game in terms of that checking mechanism. But so far, we have not had any issues - it would be wise of us to step up our games in terms of determining some of the safety features that are on these diplomas."

Faber says that there are no reports of institutions participating in the issuance or sale of these unauthenticated diplomas; these reports are surfacing from independent operators outside these institutions.