Embattled Head of SSNIT’s Management Information Systems, Caleb Afaglo, has reportedly defended his academic credentials, insisting that he obtained his PhD certificate genuinely.

The Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) interdicted Mr Afaglo for presenting fake documents for the top job.

According to the anti-graft agency, its investigation reveals that Dr Afaglo did not have a doctorate degree as he claimed. He neither has a masters’ degree nor a first degree, EOCO said.

EOCO interdicted Mr. Afaglo over claims that his certificates are fake and therefore he does not deserve his position at SSNIT.

“This is not my first job, so there is absolutely no truth in it right? None whatsoever. My PHD University closed down in 2011, how is that my fault. And how does that make the degree a fake one when I graduated in 2007,” Accra-based Starr FM quotes Mr Afaglo as explaining in a Facebook conversation.

The interdiction comes at a time there is public disaffection for the Trust following the revelation that it spent $72 million to procure a faulty software from 2012 to 2016.

The contract, awarded in 2012, was to automate processes at the Trust.

It was to provide superior services to SSNIT customers, reduce member enrolment cycle through forms, provide effective reporting solution, achieve real time processing of contribution reports and reduce benefit processing time.

The initial contract sum was $34 million but the Trust ended up spending more within the period of four years.

EOCO uncovered the fraud during investigations into Dr Afaglo’s crucial role in the controversial $72 million digitization contract.

Joy News sources at EOCO say Dr Afaglo was selected as the General Manager of the MIS because of his ‘impeccable’ credentials.

He was employed in 2015 after phases one and two of the Operational Business Suite (OBS) had been implemented.

Prior to his appointment at SSNIT, Dr Afaglo had worked as IT consultant for the Trust, National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and at MTN Ghana and Action Chapel International as the Data Services Supervising Engineer.

He had also served as the head of IT department at SIMNET GHANA and Dominion University. He was also a consultant at GLICO Insurance.

He was allegedly sacked in the three organisations for presenting fake documents, the anti-graft agency has said.

Sources say the authorities at the Dominion University found out about the fake documents after they applied for an accreditation from the National Accreditation Board.

Meanwhile, the company that submitted the lowest bid for the contract, Persol Limited has refuted claims advanced for rejecting its proposal.

SSNIT had said the company met all but one of the criteria, which is the absence of a signature from the person given the power of attorney.

But Persol Boss Micheal Quarshie told Kojo Yankson on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Monday they provided all the required documents directed by SSNIT.

“[Our proposal] had a power of attorney submitted, it had the name of the person whom we were giving the power of attorney to [and] it had the director of the company,” he said.