Two persons have been arrested by the police in Accra for allegedly attempting to defraud Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates under the pretext of securing second-cycle school placements for them.
The arrests followed a tip-off from the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, after two BECE candidates reported the alleged scheme to him and presented evidence indicating that the suspects had demanded money in exchange for assistance with their school placement.
According to the Ministry of Education, the Minister, after reviewing the evidence provided by the candidates, alerted the appropriate security authorities, leading to the arrest of the two suspects at the Resolution Centre in Accra.
The incident comes as the Ministry oversees the ongoing placement of BECE candidates into second-cycle institutions through the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
The Ministry has reiterated that placement through the CSSPS is free and warned parents and students against paying individuals who claim they can secure or influence school placements.
It urged parents, students and members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspected cases of extortion, fraud or attempts to manipulate the placement process to the appropriate security authorities.
The Ministry said the arrests reinforce its warning that individuals seeking to exploit parents and students during the placement exercise will be identified and dealt with in accordance with the law.
Parents and students have consequently been advised to rely on the official placement process and avoid engaging intermediaries who demand payment for placement-related services.
Source:www.kumasimail.com
