Chart Thai MP may lose degree

Education panel checking records

Anjira Assavanonda

AChart Thai member of parliament allegedly holding a fake vocational school certificate could have his university degree nullified if a Private Education Commission probe finds the allegation to be true.

Noppadon Polasen, from Uthai Thani, was accused of holding a fake certificate from the now-defunct Thanakij Panichayakarn school of commerce.

The school was founded in 1967 under the name of Jarupanich school. It was renamed in 1973 and went out of business in October ,1995.

The probe was launched following a complaint by the Democrat party that he used a fake certificate to further his studies at Sripathum University.

Sripathum University rector Rachaniporn Phukamarn has made it clear that Mr Nopadol's bachelor's degree in business administration would be nullified if the allegation proved to be true.

The MP graduated from the university on May 20, 1995.

Deputy Education Minister Chamlong Krutkhunthod earlier said there were grounds to believe that the MP was holding a fake certificate, since his name was not found on the student registration list of the school.

Ms Rachaniporn, however, defended the university, claiming it already checked the certificate's authenticity, first with Thanakij Panichayakarn school when he enrolled in the university, and also with the Office of the Private Education Commission before issuing the MPs transcript after graduation.

Both also confirmed that Mr Noppadon had finished vocational education from the school.

The rector insisted the university's investigation was always based on facts.

"If it is confirmed that a student's certificate was fake, the university would certainly dismiss him or her from our student list," she noted.

Ms Rachaniporn said each year around 10 students were found to have obtained fake graduation certificates and they are not spared from dismissal.

Citing a similar case involving former Democrat MP Charnchai Issarasenarak, the rector said after the court had found him using a fake vocational school certificate to further his tertiary studies, the university council nullified his bachelor's degree.

The Private Education Commission is expected to conclude its own check into the educational background of Mr Noppadon in the next month or so, he said.

Charuayporn Toranin, secretary-general of the commission, said although her office certified Mr Noppadon's vocational school certificate when asked to check by the Election Commission before the election, she admitted the examination of his graduation papers was made in a rush and not all the required documents were used.

Since the petitioner submitted new evidence to back up the allegation, her office would renew the examination, which should not take more than 30 days to conclude, Mrs Charuayporn said.