BEIRUT, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Around nine Lebanese people were transferred to the public prosecution in Mount Lebanon for selling forged diplomas to soldiers in the army, Al Akhbar newspaper reported on Monday.

"The Attorney-General Carmen Ghaleb will file a claim against the detainees for forging degrees with the sentence of up to five years in jail," said the newspaper.

Three soldiers who bought the fabricated degrees were also transferred to the military judiciary, it added.

On June 21, the army's intelligence unit uncovered a network of Lebanese private universities that sold forged degrees to Lebanese soldiers seeking promotion with fraudulent diplomas.

The Army Intelligence noticed the illegal act as a number of soldiers submitted their degrees for promotion without having declared the pursuit of a university education.

Investigations are underway to specify the number of forged degrees sold to Lebanese soldiers.