A 55-year-old man identified as Gusto Gadama has been ordered to pay K3.4 million for operating two unregistered universities which are Cypress International Institute and Jerusalem University
Principal Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe has fined Gadama for operating higher learning institutions and offering higher learning qualifications without authority.
Gadama was running Cyprus and Jerusalem Universities without registering the institutions with the National Council for Higher Education.
Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe said in his ruling that Gadama’s conduct undermined higher education in the country.
He added that Gadama fooled some people into thinking that they acquired legitimate qualifications when they have none. Michongwe also note that people were fooled into paying money for nothing since the qualifications people got from the two universities are invalid.
Gadama’s sentencing comes after he was convicted last week on his own plea of guilty last week.
The ruling means that Gadama will pay 1.7 million kwacha for each count or in default spend two years in in jail for each count.
National Council of Higher Education-NCHE CEO Ambumulire Phiri has hailed the ruling saying it will stop other people from operating higher learning institutions illegally.
