Two remanded in connection with leakage of examination papers

Accra, Aug. 9, GNA - Two persons, who appeared before a Circuit Court in Accra on Monday in connection with the leakage of this year's Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) papers, were remanded in Prison custody.

The two- Kingsley Quayson, 54-year-old Caretaker of the Axim Castle and Anthony Cudjoe, 20-year-old student - were not charged because investigations are ongoing.

The Court discharged two Ghana Education Service (GES) officials - Mr Nuko Peter Assevor and Mr Bernard Arthiabah - who had custody of the keys to the West African Examination Council's Depot in Axim. This was after the Police informed the Court of developments in the case and, therefore, asked for the withdrawal of the charges preferred against them.

Police Chief Inspector Rebecca Nugbemadu told the Court that the Police had found out that the ceiling of the Axim Depot had been broken through but the doors of the Depot were intact.

Chief Inspector Nugbemadu said the Police found out that the person entered the ceiling from the Axim Castle, where Quayson worked, to get to the Depot.

Mr Ayisi Addo, Counsel for Cudjoe, pleaded with the Court to admit his client to bail but this was refused.

The Court presided over by Mrs Elizabeth Ankomah advised Counsel to exercise patience with the law and allow the Police to investigate the matter thoroughly because the leakage of examination questions was becoming rampant.

"This is a national issue, we must exercise patience to allow the Police to conduct investigations into the matter. We must take measures to guard against our school certificates," the Judge stated.

The Court adjourned the case to August 23.

The Reverend John Anan Adotey, Head of the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) National Office, on August 4 said the leakage arose when a WAEC Official, Ms Beatrice Corsah, who was manning the Council Depot at Axim, collapsed while on duty and had to be detained at the Axim Hospital on July 22.

He said WAEC's attention was drawn to the state of affairs at the Axim Depot on Tuesday 27 and immediately, an Officer from Accra was sent to take over Ms Corssah's schedule.

WAEC has rescheduled five papers, which were to have been written on August 3 and August 4 to August 11 and August 12.

The Council said French 1 and 2 would now be written on Wednesday, August 11 while Business Mathematics and Principles of Costing 2, Literature in English 2 and Physics 1 would be written on Thursday August 12.