Ecuador: Central Bank president resigns over fake degree

AP - Ecuador's Central Bank president has resigned after acknowledging that he presented a fake academic degree 22 years ago, a scandal that prompted the country's leader to call for him to face justice.



Central Bank President Pedro Delgado, who is a cousin of Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, apologised to the nation, the government and his family recently at a news conference.



"With honesty, I should acknowledge that I made a very serious mistake 22 years ago. I made a wrong decision to achieve my academic objective," Delgado said.



He acknowledged that he had given a Costa Rican business school "a document with no value (showing) a degree I didn't hold."



"I kept this act secret. I offer an apology to my wife, children, the Ecuadorean people, the government ... and above all to President Rafael Correa," Delgado said.



Correa called it a "very hard day" in a message on his Twitter account.



The scandal erupted after an investigation by opposition politician Enrique Herreria into Delgado's academic record at the Catholic University of Ecuador and the prestigious INCAE Business School in Costa Rica.



Herreria told reporters on Thursday that Delgado had left the country, possibly for the United States.



Correa later said that Delgado had traveled to Miami for a son's wedding and would be back after Christmas.



However, he said that a government official traveled this week to Costa Rica. to investigate the claims about the fake degree, and once confirmed, "we asked for his resignation."



Correa told reporters that Delgado will have to assume his responsibility and respond before the justice system.



Delgado was appointed in November 2011.



Like our new Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/gleanerjamaica



Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/JamaicaGleaner



editorial@gleanerjm.com