NSS detain seven teachers over exam leakages

At least seven teachers have been arrested by the National Security Service for allegedly leaking last year’s Certificate of Primary Examination (CPE) papers.

“The accused suspects are teachers by profession and they are seven in number, in which five of them were apprehended in Kapoeta town, Eastern Equatoria State, one suspect was apprehended in Yirol West County of Lakes State and another one was apprehended in Malakal town in Upper Nile State,” according to a statement from the Internal Security Bureau office of the Director-General Public Relation.

David John Kumuri, the Director Public Relation Department office of the Director-General said the operation that culminated in the arrest of the suspects came after the concern raised by the Ministry of Education.

He said the warrant of arrest was issued by the public attorney for the prosecution of offenses under sections 48 and 343 of the penal Code Act,2008 hence affecting the apprehension of the teachers by the NSS.

The suspects admitted to having practiced the crime in which they have been detained and they also revealed that they used WhatsApp to spread the exams across the country, according to the NSS.

“The evidence  is stored in their phones that have been kept as an exhibit and in a short notice, they shall be produced before the court for the law to take its course,” Kumuri said

Kumuri added that some of the suspects were in hidding, saying the operation to crack down on them has not ceased and they shall soon be brought to book.

The NSS has called on the public to assist all the law enforcement agencies by reporting the crime.

He said exam leakage is a national security threat that tends to threaten the quality of education in the country.

Last year, a former Undersecretary in the Ministry of General Education and Instruction broke the silence over the rampant exams leakage in the ministry but was later ordered to apologise.