Unqualified Student Engineer Receives Maximum Fine

A student engineer who lied on her CV and misrepresented herself as a chartered professional engineer has received the maximum fine available under Engineering New Zealand’s membership rules, and has been convicted in the District Court on 38 dishonesty charges.

An Engineering New Zealand Disciplinary Committee found that former student engineer Prajna Singh breached her obligations in respect of the Code of Ethical Conduct in misrepresenting her qualifications and competence dozens of times, including signing documents saying she was a registered chartered professional engineer (‘CPEng’).

The misrepresentations included using a chartered professional engineer’s registration number without their knowledge. That engineer had no association with Ms Singh and was not aware of the matter until contacted by Engineering New Zealand.

The Committee said, “Ms Singh’s representations, on at least 32 occasions, that she held that qualification when she did not is alarming and has the very real potential to damage the trust the public places in the CPEng title.”

The documents signed by Ms Singh included seismic assessments and producer statements.

Engineers with the title of ‘chartered professional engineer’ have had their competency assessed and usually have at least seven years’ experience after graduation. Some building consent authorities only accept designs signed off by such engineers.

Ms Singh did not have an engineering degree when she made the misrepresentations. She had attended several years’ of university courses but had not passed all the requisite papers.

“This type of deceptive behaviour will never be appropriate for any member of Engineering New Zealand,” the Committee said.

The Committee ordered Ms Singh be admonished and fined $5,000 – the first time a Disciplinary Committee has awarded the maximum fine against an engineer.

“We are unable to think of any conduct which better justifies the maximum penalty than dishonestly holding oneself out to be a qualified engineer and a CPEng registered engineer,” the Committee said.

“We also consider that the amount of the fine will send a clear signal to the industry and the public that Engineering New Zealand takes complaints about its members extremely seriously.”

Ms Singh was also convicted under the Crimes Act in relation to her offending. She pleaded guilty in the Auckland District Court to 38 charges of dishonestly using a document and was sentenced in April to six months’ community detention, 80 hours’ community service, and $25,000 payable in reparations.

The charges were brought by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as a result of information provided by Engineering New Zealand.

Engineering New Zealand says Ms Singh’s case highlights the importance of thorough background and credential checks during recruitment of new staff, as well as the need for stronger regulation of engineers including harsher penalties and protection of title for all practising engineers. Engineering New Zealand supports the government’s current proposals for stronger regulation of the profession.

Chief Executive Dr Richard Templer says, “Currently there are almost no restrictions on who can call themselves an engineer or perform engineering work.

“The exception to this is ‘chartered professional engineer’, which is a protected title, and it is very concerning to us that someone would abuse that title.

“Although we believe Ms Singh’s case represents extreme behaviour, it highlights the reason tighter regulation is needed and welcomed by the profession,” says Templer.

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