Former WA Labor MP Barry Urban has been arrested and charged with a dozen forgery, false evidence and attempted fraud offences following his resignation from Parliament.

Key points: Former Labor MP Barry Urban was found to have lied about his qualifications for years

Former Labor MP Barry Urban was found to have lied about his qualifications for years A powerful committee recommended he be expelled from Parliament

A powerful committee recommended he be expelled from Parliament He quit before he could be expelled, but police soon launched their own investigation

Mr Urban resigned as the member for Darling Range earlier this year, after a powerful committee recommended he be expelled for repeatedly lying about his past.

The committee found the former WA police officer lied to the public and Parliament about his police service and education history.

His resignation triggered a by-election for the seat of Darling Range, in Perth's east, which saw the seat claimed by Liberal Party candidate Alyssa Hayden.

The Major Fraud Squad has charged Mr Urban with forgery and attempted fraud over applications he made to WA Police.

He is also charged with five counts of giving false evidence to a parliamentary committee.

He was arrested and charged today and is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on the October 16.

Sorry, this video has expired Barry Urban apologises to Parliament in November 2017 after resigning from Labor

Mr Urban's former Labor Party colleague, Commerce Minister Bill Johnston, said he looked forward to the court process coming to a conclusion.

"He needs to be held to account for his behaviour," Mr Johnston said.

A rare expulsion from Parliament

Mr Urban quit the Labor Party at the end of 2017 after admitting a medal he claimed he was awarded for overseas police service was actually bought online.

Barry Urban now faces a total of 12 charges. ( Supplied: The West Australian )

While he remained in Parliament as an independent, a series of claims Mr Urban had made about his background were thrust into the spotlight and found to be false.

WA Premier Mark McGowan referred the matters to Parliament's Procedure and Privileges Committee.

In May, the committee handed down its report, making the rare recommendation to expel Mr Urban from the WA Parliament.

Barry Urban's unproven claims: He had a degree from the University of Leeds

He had a degree from the University of Leeds He had a certificate of higher education in Policing from the University of Portsmouth

He had a certificate of higher education in Policing from the University of Portsmouth He had completed nine out of 10 modules of a diploma of local government

He had completed nine out of 10 modules of a diploma of local government He was seconded from West Midlands Police in 1998 and served with the United Nations mission in the Balkans, where he provided security for a team investigating war crimes

He was seconded from West Midlands Police in 1998 and served with the United Nations mission in the Balkans, where he provided security for a team investigating war crimes He was posted a service medal by UK authorities

He was posted a service medal by UK authorities He subsequently lost such medal

He subsequently lost such medal He was entitled to wear such a medal

He was entitled to wear such a medal He was under a genuine but mistaken belief that he was entitled to wear a replica police overseas service medal

It found Mr Urban lied to the public and Parliament for years about his police service and his education history.

Among his background details rejected by the committee was Mr Urban's claim he served as a war crimes investigator in the Balkans.

Mr Urban quit on the day the committee handed down its report, before he could be expelled.

"This is a situation that I regret and this will haunt me for the rest of my life," he said at the time.

"I am not a perfect person. I have made mistakes and I am sorry for that."

The next day it was revealed WA Police had launched a criminal investigation.