University Institution Registers Foreign Students with Migration Records

Cyprus Massachusetts Center Of Innovation, which was arrested as part of the investigation into "opening and operating a higher education institution without permission from the Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation, and Coordination Council (YÖDAK)", "forging documents", "circulating forged documents", "obtaining registration through fraudulent behavior", and "obtaining money through fraud", was represented by Director Umar Saleem and Deputy Director Mirza Imran Baig today, with a request for bail.

Police officer Burçin Korgan, who is on duty at the Nicosia Criminal Branch, presented the facts in court. The police stated that an inspection was carried out at the Cyprus Massachusetts Center Of Innovation on March 6, 2024. The police stated that as a result of the inspection, it was found that the institution was approved by the Ministry of Education, but it was not registered with YÖDAK. The police also revealed that the institution registered its students in the Higher Education Registration System (YÖKAS), issued university student certificates, and facilitated migration.

The police stated that the institution brought students from abroad in this way. Additionally, the police disclosed that the institution advertised on their websites that students could obtain an associate's degree at their school and a master's degree in the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

MANY REGISTRATION FILES BELONGING TO FOREIGN STUDENTS WERE FOUND, BUT SOME STUDENTS COULD NOT BE REACHED

The police stated that many registration files belonging to foreign students were found in the educational institution, but some students could not be reached. The police mentioned that the suspects' mobile phones and computers were seized.

EXTRA $500 WAS TAKEN FROM STUDENTS FOR REGISTRATION FEES

The police stated that they took statements from students, who explained that they were told they could obtain an associate's degree and a 4-year bachelor's degree when registering with the institution. The police also revealed that the registration fees were collected by the suspect Mirza Baing, and the students said they paid a thousand euros or dollars as tuition fees, but the registration fee for the school was $500. The police also mentioned that the incident could involve embezzlement by an employee.

The police stated that some of the hundreds of students who registered with the institution could not be reached, and they were trying to identify active and inactive students.

The police stated that the investigation was ongoing from various angles but that the suspects would not affect the remaining part of the investigation. The police requested bail, stating that Mirza Baing had Turkish Cypriot citizenship and Umar Saleem was a doctoral student.

Judge Zehra Yalkut Bilgeç evaluated the testimony before her and ordered the suspects to be banned from leaving the country, to deposit 100,000 TL each in cash as bail, and to have one guarantor sign a bail bond of 1 million TL each.