Thirteen exam fraudsters fined GH¢15,600

The Akyem Oda District Magistrate Court, presided over by Mr Kwesi Appiatse Abaidoo, has slapped the 13 students who were involved in examination malpractices in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at Oda last week with a fine totalling GH¢15,600.

Each of them was fined GH¢1,200. In default, each of them will serve a three-month prison term.

The court also banned each of them from writing any examination conducted by or on behalf of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for three years.

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Convicts

The convicts are Wisdom Adjoh, 20, a Level 400 student of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA); David Antwi, 19, a Level 100 student of UPSA; Elsias Agyei, 22, Level 200 student of UPSA; Suzzette Lamptey, 19, University of Cape Coast (UCC); Donna Elikplem Agbeshie, 19, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); Mary Twumwaa, 18, KNUST; Helena Abugu, 21, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani; Eugenia Obeng Boateng, 20, Patience Nyamekye, 19, Prince Annor Darkwak 22 and Kelvin Darko 18, all students of First and Fair Remedial School at Tema.

Others are Anim Ansah Glover, 22, student of University of Ghana and Christian Dzesenu, 20.

A former student of the University of Ghana, Desmond Agbeshie, 26, who is also a teacher of First and Fair Remedial School and Richard Salu, the director/teacher of the school who pleaded not guilty to the charges, were admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢5,000 each. They were also ordered to reappear before the court on May 8, 2018.

Facts

The facts of the case, as presented by the prosecutor, Detective Chief Inspector Fabian Sallah, are that around 11:30 a.m. on April 17, 2018, Richard Salu, Christian Dzesunu and three accomplices, who are on the run, aided and abetted Desmond Agbeshie and Wisdom Adjoh, respectively, to write the WASSCE in Economics while they were not students.

Donna Elikplem Agbeshie, Mary Twumwaa, Helen Abugu, Eugenia Obeng Boateng, Patience Nyamekye, Prince Annor Darkwah, Kelvin Darko, Glover Anim Ansah, Desmond Agbeshie who are not students of Placid International School at Oda, wrote the Economics Paper in the ongoing WASSCE for  the students who were real candidates.

Disappointment

In his ruling, Mr Abaidoo noted, among other things, that although those in responsible positions in the educational sector were doing their best to enforce discipline, the situation was becoming worse.

He said it was for those reasons that Parliament enacted Act 719 to regulate the conduct of examinations.

“Considering the rate at which examination malpractices are on the ascendancy, I am particularly disappointed with the penalty imposed by Section 5 Act 719. Although the aim of Parliament is to deter students from examination malpractices, the penalty prescribed by the section appears not to be deterrent enough,” he added.