Parliamentary committee summons suspended Maneb officers: MSCE exam leakage attributed to security lapses

The 2020 Malawi Schools Certificate of Education (MSCE) examination leaked due to security lapses as only six Malawi Police officers were engaged instead of the required 20, the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) has said.

The Board on Tuesday conceded that there was weak security checks at MANEB offices, indicating that there were no physical checks.

This was disclosed when the Board  led by its chairperson Alfred Mtenje appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Education.

The Committee summoned MANEB officials to understand the reasons behind the leakage of the 2020 MSCE examination papers and possible short term and long-term measures put in place to address the examination leakage.

The Parliamentary Committee also wanted to appreciate stages of examination processes from formulation to marking and announcement of results

MANEB also took time to brief the Committee on the state of preparedness regarding the re-sitting of the 2020 MSCE examination, which started on Tuesday, January 5.

Mtenje claimed that suspended MANEB chief executive director, Gerald Chiunda directed that there should be only six police officers instead of 20 which was the required number.

He said this was one of the factors that led to the massive leakage of examination papers as there was laxity in security, resulting in the cancellation of the examination.

Mtenje also admitted that CCTV cameras at Maneb were not working properly and could not capture movements and happenings at the MANEB as such the Board could not trace the culprits.

He told the Committee that those behind the leakage of the 2020 MSCE examination knew that CCTV cameras could not capture them and access to the storeroom was given to more than one person.

Mtenje  also disclosed that officers believed to have a hand in the leakage of the question papers have been summoned for disciplinary hearing on 26 January.

However, the Committee queried why the suspended officers were not part of the meeting.

According to them, the suspended Officers, including  Chiunda were better placed to explain what led to the leakage of the examination.

Members of the Committee have since demanded the suspended Officers to appear before them on Wednesday, January 6 2021.

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