Declan Walsh reveals how he put together the story to expose Axact scandal
The NYT journalist said former Axact employees were key elements to the report.
(Web Desk) - The New York Times (NYT) journalist Declan Walsh on Thursday revealed that how actually he exposed the Axact company’s alleged fake degree scam.
“I spent three months putting together the story of how Axact took the age-old scam of selling fake academic degrees,” Declan Walsh stated in a fresh article posted on NYT.
In his report titled “Fake Diplomas, Real Cash: Pakistani Company Axact Reaps Millions” published on May 17, the prominent journalist claimed that Axact allegedly earned millions of dollars from scams involving fake degrees, non-existent online universities and manipulation of customers.
Declan Walsh said former Axact employees were key elements to the report.
“One, speaking by phone from Karachi, confided that the company’s main business was in fake degrees. He listed a handful of bogus universities — with names like Belford, Rochville and Must — that a quick Internet search confirmed had already faced accusations of providing fake certificates,” Walsh said.
He also flew to Abu Dhabi in February to meet Yasir Jamshaid, a disillusioned former quality control official at the company, to review the customer records he had taken from Axact.
Waslsh said chasing former employees was just one part of the effort involved in putting together the puzzle of Axact’s online activities.
"I trawled through newspaper clippings, company registrations on blogs, Internet registration services and court records, sometimes with help from Susan Beachy at our research desk,” he added.
The article went online on Sunday and hours later, the FIA officials raided Axact headquarters in Karachi and a smaller office in Islamabad, seizing computers and detaining at least 30 employees for questioning. The tax authorities and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan also announced investigations into Axact’s affairs.
On the other hand, Axact strenuously denied the contents of the article and announced its intention to sue The Times for defamation.
