Lifelong College, the Hong Kong school that allegedly fast-tracked degrees for TVB actress Sisley Choi and Wan Chai district councillor Anna Tang, also gave out degrees in criminal justice to 17 police officers, reports suggest.
Oh, sweet irony.
Apple Daily claims to have discovered the police officers’ pretenses as part of their own investigation into the crafty college, which — through its Philippine affiliate, Tarlac State University — allegedly shortened degree programmes and offered help in writing doctoral theses… for a fee, of course.
According to Apple Daily’s findings, 13 male and four female officers enrolled in Tarlac State University between January to March of 2013, but received degrees that were backdated to 2012.
The officers, ranging in age from 24 to 45, reportedly served in the force between five and 25 years. Their positions varied, with five sergeants and 12 lower-ranking officers involved in the scandal, nine of whom had also been in the marine police.
Some of the officers reportedly had several subjects from the entry requirements for the bachelor’s programme waived, while others applied for tuition reimbursement for said subjects, which was not registered with the Education Bureau.
A police spokesperson said that officials are investigating the claims.
Barrister Albert Luk said that the police officers could have committed forgery and conspiracy to defraud. If the officers are convicted, they could receive jail sentences of up to 14 years for each offence.
Luk added that the officers are unlikely to receive a lenient sentence on the grounds of ignorance given their profession, although if the allegations are true, they could very well have skipped the classes for “Conspiracy to Defraud 101″*.
* Not a real class… we think.
Related articles:
Hong Kong councillor ‘ran diploma mill’, pro-Beijing politician, TVB actress ‘benefited’
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