Prison Fellowship admin, Health Surveillance Assistant arrested for cheating MSCE exams in Balaka
Two men are being kept in Police Custody at Balaka Police Station after being arrested of cheating in the on-going Malawi School Certificate of Examinations (MSCE).
Balaka Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Gerald Sumaili identified the two suspects as Joseph Makiyi aged 40 and Charles Kumwenda aged 25.
Makiyi is an Administrator at Prison Fellowship Malawi (PFM)-Balaka Chapter while Kumwenda works as a Health Surveillance Assistant (H.S.A) at Kapire Health Centre.
According to Constable Sumaili, Makiyi obtained leave from his work place inorder to sit for the examinations but later hired Kumwenda to write the exams on his behalf.
Sumaili said Kumwenda managed to acquire a Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) Student Identification Card in the false name of Joseph Makiyi on the afternoon of 30th June 2016 during the sitting of Human Geography Paper.
He said Kumwenda was caught by a MANEB Security Officer Stone Jester Mtambalika who at this particular moment went to inspect how exams were progressing at Balaka Islamic Institute examination centre.
“Kumwenda looked nervous and trembling when the MANEB official entered the examination room and this made the Security Officer to draw close to the candidate and asked him what was wrong”
“He eventually revealed that he was writing the exams on behalf of his friend whose name was on the Student Identity Card,” explained Sumaili.
He said Mtambalika reported the matter to Police who upon their investigations, managed to apprehend Makiyi who was at the moment sitting idle at his home.
Makiyi and Kumwenda confessed they indeed commited the offence and will appear before court soon to answer charges of Examination cheating which is against Maneb Act 29;18 and Ammended Penalties Act 14.
They both hails from Lupanga Village in the Area of Traditional Authority Nsamala in Balaka District.
The tendency of examination cheating is still happening despite all efforts by Maneb to curb the malpractice.
In January this year, Maneb embarked on an awareness campaign through music, poetry and drama among others on the evils of exam cheating dubbed ‘Anti-Examination Cheating Campaign’..
A total of 153, 646 students registered to sit for this year’s MSCE exams.
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