WAEC begins probe into 2022 WASSCE suspected malpractices invites schools, candidates to assist in investigations

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has urged school authorities and candidates who have been invited to its Offices to assist with investigations into suspected cases of malpractices to endeavour to honour the invitations to facilitate the speedy resolution of those cases.

The Council said it has commenced investigations into this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) irregularities detected during and after the examination and would require the co-operation of both school authorities and students to ensure prompt investigations and resolution of cases.

This was contained in a release signed and issued by the Head of Public Affairs of WAEC National Office, Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, and copied to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.

She revealed that candidates who refused to honour the invitations would not stop the council from making a final determination on the cases in question.

Mrs Teye-Cudjoe indicated that the council had successfully completed coordination and marking exercises at the 49 venues.

It further, stated that the Council had commenced other post-examination activities including the processing of results.

Mrs Teye-Cudjoe cautioned the candidates to remain vigilant about websites that may announce the release of fake results and persons who promise to upgrade results for a fee saying “these are all the activities of scammers.”

She added that the WAEC’s new target for the release of the 2022 WASSCE results was November 30, 2022.

Meanwhile, the WAEC at a presser recently in Accra said it had reported 23 cases of candidate impersonation in the just-ended WASSCE to the police for prosecution.

Of the cases, it said 15 occurred at the Prince Boateng Senior High School (SHS), Nsawam; three at Vicar Trust SHS, Kasoa; two at Saint John SHS, Asante Bekwai and one each at Winners SHS, Mococ SHS, both at Nkawkaw, and Sunyani Business College.

Mrs Teye-Cudjoe said such cases were on the rise in “Ghana only” and that perpetrators would not be spared.

Per section five of the WAEC Regulation, both the impersonator and the impersonated upon conviction could be fined not less than 50 penalty units (GH¢ 600) and not more than 100 penalty units (GH¢ 1,200).

They could serve not less than three months prison terms; their results could be cancelled if they are both candidates while they could be prohibited from taking any examination conducted by the Council for a period of not less than two years.