The Paraguayan Senate and the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR), the state's primary oversight body, signed a cooperation agreement on Thursday to investigate allegations of fake academic diploma schemes. The initiative aims to integrate efforts and resources to expedite ongoing investigations.
The agreement was signed by the President of Congress, Basilio "Bachi" Núñez, and Comptroller General Camilo Benítez, in the presence of Senator Patrick Kemper, who chairs the special parliamentary commission investigating the case. The senator stated that the joint effort will expand investigative capacity and produce results as quickly as possible, optimizing state resources.
Comptroller Camilo Benítez revealed that his institution was already conducting a special audit based on prior complaints and had issued a dozen requests to various state entities. The investigations are focused on three areas: the lack of quality accreditation from the National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education (ANEAES), the irregular approval of courses by the National Council of Higher Education (CONES), and the direct detection of forged diplomas.
Benítez added that cross-referencing data from institutions such as the Ministry of Education and Sciences and the Ministry of Economy and Finance will aim to trace the flow of public money used to pay salaries or bonuses to professionals with questionable credentials. He assured that any irregularities uncovered will be referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office, as they constitute criminal offenses that should lead to a penal investigation.