Adv. Aires Rodrigues has demanded the immediate resignation of Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes for having lost all moral authority to continue in office after his son Raymond Filipe Fernandes submitted a false and fabricated BA degree to be selected for the post of Awal Karkun (AK) at the North Goa Collectorate.
Adv. Rodrigues has also sought that the North Goa Collector should forthwith file an F.I.R against Raymond Fernandes at the Panaji Police Station in terms of Section 471 and other sections of the Indian Penal Code as it is a cognizable offence for whoever fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any document which he knows is a forged document.
Stating that the degree certificate from Lucknow based Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad submitted by Raymond Fernandes was submitted by him knowing very well that it was forged and fabricated, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that stringent action in this matter would send a strong and deterrent message to those venturing to hoodwink the authorities by submitting forged and fabricated educational documents.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the police investigation must entail as to how and who aided Raymond Fernandes in obtaining that fake Higher Secondary and BA degree from Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad.
Adv. Rodrigues has urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who also holds the education portfolio to direct all heads of departments to have a very robust mechanism in place to check at the scrutiny stage the authenticity of educational and other certificates submitted by candidates aspiring for government jobs.
Stating that any political interference and manipulation in the selection of government employees as was evident in the Raymond Fernandes’s case was unacceptable it being very unlawful, Adv. Rodrigues has demanded that Ministers and MLAs should have no say whatsoever in the recruitment process and it should be left to the heads of the concerned departments to select their required manpower absolutely on merit and strictly in terms of the Recruitment Rules.
Stating that Raymond Fernandes may not be a isolated case of submitting a fake degree, Adv. Rodrigues has sought that the government prove its bonafides by setting up a Special Investigative Team (SIT) to examine the educational degrees submitted by those selected to government service over the last five years in particular.
