What Happened
Lawyers for Etelvina de Bonagas, rector of the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Unachi), said the university is cooperating with an investigation opened after a complaint from the Ministry of Education over possible diploma forgery.
The comments came after an earlier on-site inspection carried out by the Public Ministry at the university. The legal team said neither university staff nor students are involved in the alleged scheme.
University Response
During a news conference, the rector’s attorneys emphasized that Unachi is taking the process seriously and is allowing the authorities to carry out their work. They also said the preliminary results of the investigation are favorable to the university.
The defense framed the institution as a cooperative party in the case, while rejecting any suggestion that the university community had taken part in irregular conduct.
Background
The case stems from a complaint presented by the Ministry of Education related to possible falsification of diplomas. In Panama, academic credentials carry significant weight in public employment, professional licensing, and postgraduate studies, which makes allegations involving diplomas especially sensitive for universities and regulators.
Unachi, based in Chiriquí, is one of Panama’s main public universities and plays an important role in higher education in the country’s western region. Any investigation involving its academic records or administrative processes can draw broader attention to oversight and integrity in university systems.
What This Means
The Public Ministry’s inspection and the university’s public defense suggest the case is moving through an early investigative stage. The outcome could affect how authorities examine academic documents and how universities respond to similar allegations in the future.
For now, the university’s legal position is that it is cooperating fully and that the institution itself is not implicated in wrongdoing.