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Samuel Armah, a teacher at Ghana College SHS, and two university students, Kwame Oteng Nkansah and Amedeka James, have been jailed for a total of 20 months in prison.
The three have been jailed for their involvement in examination malpractice during the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The convicts were arrested in Kasoa while engaging in various exam-related offences.
They were sentenced by the Kasoa-Ofaakor District Magistrate’s Court.
Samuel Armah, a teacher who was serving as an invigilator, was caught dictating answers to candidates with the answers to Social Studies Paper 1 on his mobile phone.
He was sentenced to eight months in prison and fined 80 penalty units.
Another convict, a Level 100 student of Accra Technical University, Kwame Oteng Nkansah, was caught impersonating Quayson Francis Atta of Ghana College SHS and was jailed for six months and fined 80 penalty units.
Additionally, Amedeka James, a level 100 University of Ghana was also jailed for six months and fined 80 penalty units for impersonating his twin brother, Amedeka Justice, during the same paper.
In related news, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has closed the Adventist Day Senior High School examination centre in Kumasi and relocated its candidates to the WAEC regional office.
This follows a widespread malpractice during the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
David Oppong, the Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Education, revealed that all 936 candidates from the school have been reassigned to write their English Language paper under strict supervision at the WAEC office.
David Oppong stated, “This has come to the attention of the Regional Director, and we are yet to conduct our investigation. For now, the students have been bused to the WAEC centre to take the examination, and it is very unfortunate”.
“We will ensure that the code of conduct and the rules governing the examination are applied,” he added.
A total of 461,640 students, including 207,381 males and 254,259 females, are sitting for the 2025 WASSCE nationwide.
Meanwhile, a JoyNews exposé has uncovered some officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES) colluding with invigilators.
The exposé revealed that the GES official received as little as GH¢60 to allow candidates to cheat in the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE).
Investigators found that invigilators were promised GH¢60 daily to allow candidates to smuggle mobile phones into examination halls to use artificial intelligence tools to solve questions.
The JOYNEWS exposé also unearthed an “Aseda Offertory” which is collected after the final paper.
According to the reports, students contributed at least GH¢5 each in appreciation.
John Kapi, Head of Public Affairs at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) stated, “Any payment that is made in the course of the examination to an invigilator or supervisor is illegal. It is not coming from WAEC.
“WAEC does not pay money in the course of the examination. We don’t do that”.
The exposé also revealed that malpractice was carefully organised with invigilators dictating answers, and circulated handwritten and printed solutions.
Also, Supervisors acted as lookouts against WAEC and National Security officials.
Kofi Asare of Africa Education Watch, in an interview, stated, “We’re teaching children corruption in basic schools. Corruption 101 begins here. They grow up to normalise it, producing corrupt citizens and professionals”.
Furthermore, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, the acting Director-General of GES, noted that all staff caught aiding malpractice would be dealt with.
“We cannot work with staff who cheat. Why keep someone who carries questions to students in an exam hall instead of teaching them in class? Nobody wants to be operated on by a doctor who cheated their way through. We must stop this”, he stated.