Ghanaian students arrested over alleged transcript forgery make court appearance in the US
Three Ghanaian students accused of falsifying high school transcripts to gain admission to Lehigh University appeared in court on October 8 for a preliminary hearing.
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The former students, Evans Oppong, Henry Dabuo, and Otis Opoku, are currently being held at Northampton County Prison, facing charges of forgery and theft of services.
Lehigh University Police Department arrested the three, alongside a fourth Ghanaian student, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, on September 9. Sowah-Nai's hearing is scheduled for October 15.
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During the hearing, Dan Warner, Lehigh University's vice provost of admissions and financial aid, testified that discrepancies in the students' transcripts were identified during an internal review.
Warner raised concerns after noticing unusual similarities and formatting issues across the transcripts of the accused students.
According to Warner, investigations revealed that the transcripts provided by the students were significantly altered compared to official documents received from Opoku Ware School in Kumasi, Ghana.
The altered transcripts showed inflated grades, leading to the students receiving substantial financial aid packages, with Oppong and Opoku each receiving $212,933 and Dabuo $129,344.
Defense attorney Evan Hughes challenged the evidence, arguing that the transcripts had not been properly authenticated according to U.S. federal rules governing foreign public documents.
He also questioned the role of third-party agencies involved in submitting the students' applications, suggesting translation and processing issues may have contributed to the discrepancies.
The court adjourned the hearing, with the arraignment set for November 7, as the case continues to unfold.