News / Regional
Prophet Angel denies buying 'fake' online business degree
09 Jun 2013 at 11:05hrs | Views
Prophet Uebert Angel on Nehanda TV with Lance Guma
LONDON - Flamboyant Zimbabwe preacher Prophet Uebert Angel has angrily denied buying a fake online business degree with a 'diploma-mill scheme' that was eventually shut down by authorities in the United States of America.
A US government sting called "Operation Gold Seal" busted a massive internet based business from Spokane in the US which sold 10,815 fake credentials to 9,612 people in 131 countries for a total of over US$7,3 million.
Court documents show that from 1999 to 2005, Dixie Ellen Randock, Steven Karl Randock, their daughter Heidi Kae Lorhan, Roberta Lynn Markishtum, Kenneth Wade Pearson, Richard John Novak, Blake Alan Carlson, and Amy Leann Hensley sold false and fraudulent academic products.
The scam sold products which included "degrees" from non-existent entities, counterfeit high school diplomas, fabricated college and graduate-level academic transcripts, and "professorships."
"One investigator who posed as a retired Syrian military officer seeking an H1B visa was able to buy "degrees" that, if not detected, could conceivably have helped terrorists gain entry into the United States," another report said.
Although the U.S. Department of Justice refused to release the complete list of people who bought the fake qualifications, a US newspaper called the Seattle Spokesman-Review got hold of the list and published it on the 28th of July 2008.
Part of the list with 10 000 names of people who bought fake degrees and diplomas
The list of buyers (see picture) can be searched by category and on it is 'Uebert Mudzanire, Great Britain' listed as having bought a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (BBA). Mudzanire is Angel's former legal surname.
In an interview with a UK based online media, Nehanda Radio, Prophet Angel allegedly professed ignorance over the said fake degree.
"How do I buy a degree like you were saying, this is Business Administration, Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration when I have got degrees in Finance from the University of Salford (UK), postgraduate qualification in Education from the University of Bolton (UK). Why would I want Business Administration, with all due respect, I respect people who have done Business Administration and I know it's a very good programme.
"But I can't buy a Business Administration degree when you (I) have business finance. Business finance degree is a combination of business administration and finance. You don't need to have business and in this case you understand we have what you call top ups in the UK. If I have two degrees in finance and if I wanted top up, I don't even need to do a year, if I just wanted a degree. So you get a lot of these things," the 35-year-old self proclaimed miracle worker is said to have told Nehanda Radio.
Asked why his name (Uebert Mudzanire) was on a leaked U.S. Department of Justice list of people who bought the fake degrees and diplomas, Prophet Angel said he did not know why and would be taking up the issue with those that had published the list.
The Spokesman-Review who published the list are a daily newspaper based in Spokane in the U.S. State of Washington. It is the city's only daily publication and has the third highest readership among daily newspapers in Washington. They published the list in 2008, way before prophet Angel even became so popular in Zimbabwe. In Fact, he was still based in UK by then.
Prophet Angel was known and Uebert Mudzanire during the time that he was based in UK. His name only changed from Mudzanire to Angel when he came back to Zimbabwe to launch his church's head quarters in Harare.
Salford University in the UK confirmed that a Uebert Mudzanire Snr did have a degree in business from that University.
In October last year, Prophet Angel - a father of four - stunned Bulawayo residents when he preached to them for only 30 minutes in a sermon where 'talked' of nothing other than bragging about his education and flamboyant lifestyle.
"A lot has been written about my visit to Botswana and a lot is untrue except for two things which are having a beautiful wife and being flamboyant. Yes, my wife is beautiful and I am flamboyant, that is true. People say a lot. Recently I bought a Lamborghini for US$58,000, my duty is to provide for my family," said the prophet during the sermon.
"Some of you might think I became a pastor because I am not educated - it might shock you that in Zimbabwe, I am the most educated pastor. I taught finance in the UK," said the eloquent English speaking pastor.
A US government sting called "Operation Gold Seal" busted a massive internet based business from Spokane in the US which sold 10,815 fake credentials to 9,612 people in 131 countries for a total of over US$7,3 million.
Court documents show that from 1999 to 2005, Dixie Ellen Randock, Steven Karl Randock, their daughter Heidi Kae Lorhan, Roberta Lynn Markishtum, Kenneth Wade Pearson, Richard John Novak, Blake Alan Carlson, and Amy Leann Hensley sold false and fraudulent academic products.
The scam sold products which included "degrees" from non-existent entities, counterfeit high school diplomas, fabricated college and graduate-level academic transcripts, and "professorships."
"One investigator who posed as a retired Syrian military officer seeking an H1B visa was able to buy "degrees" that, if not detected, could conceivably have helped terrorists gain entry into the United States," another report said.
Although the U.S. Department of Justice refused to release the complete list of people who bought the fake qualifications, a US newspaper called the Seattle Spokesman-Review got hold of the list and published it on the 28th of July 2008.
Part of the list with 10 000 names of people who bought fake degrees and diplomas
The list of buyers (see picture) can be searched by category and on it is 'Uebert Mudzanire, Great Britain' listed as having bought a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (BBA). Mudzanire is Angel's former legal surname.
In an interview with a UK based online media, Nehanda Radio, Prophet Angel allegedly professed ignorance over the said fake degree.
"How do I buy a degree like you were saying, this is Business Administration, Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration when I have got degrees in Finance from the University of Salford (UK), postgraduate qualification in Education from the University of Bolton (UK). Why would I want Business Administration, with all due respect, I respect people who have done Business Administration and I know it's a very good programme.
"But I can't buy a Business Administration degree when you (I) have business finance. Business finance degree is a combination of business administration and finance. You don't need to have business and in this case you understand we have what you call top ups in the UK. If I have two degrees in finance and if I wanted top up, I don't even need to do a year, if I just wanted a degree. So you get a lot of these things," the 35-year-old self proclaimed miracle worker is said to have told Nehanda Radio.
Asked why his name (Uebert Mudzanire) was on a leaked U.S. Department of Justice list of people who bought the fake degrees and diplomas, Prophet Angel said he did not know why and would be taking up the issue with those that had published the list.
The Spokesman-Review who published the list are a daily newspaper based in Spokane in the U.S. State of Washington. It is the city's only daily publication and has the third highest readership among daily newspapers in Washington. They published the list in 2008, way before prophet Angel even became so popular in Zimbabwe. In Fact, he was still based in UK by then.
Prophet Angel was known and Uebert Mudzanire during the time that he was based in UK. His name only changed from Mudzanire to Angel when he came back to Zimbabwe to launch his church's head quarters in Harare.
Salford University in the UK confirmed that a Uebert Mudzanire Snr did have a degree in business from that University.
In October last year, Prophet Angel - a father of four - stunned Bulawayo residents when he preached to them for only 30 minutes in a sermon where 'talked' of nothing other than bragging about his education and flamboyant lifestyle.
"A lot has been written about my visit to Botswana and a lot is untrue except for two things which are having a beautiful wife and being flamboyant. Yes, my wife is beautiful and I am flamboyant, that is true. People say a lot. Recently I bought a Lamborghini for US$58,000, my duty is to provide for my family," said the prophet during the sermon.
"Some of you might think I became a pastor because I am not educated - it might shock you that in Zimbabwe, I am the most educated pastor. I taught finance in the UK," said the eloquent English speaking pastor.
Source - nehandaradio
