Ref: ACC/PN/21/002 19th July, 2021

It has come to the attention of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), through several complaints from members of the public, that some school authorities are engaged in extortion of monies from pupils, parents, and guardians, for the issuance of end of year school results and report cards. It is further alleged that certain schools are surreptitiously demanding huge sums of money from prospective candidates for the forthcoming West African Senior Secondary School Examinations (WASSCE) in a bid to provide the environment for the candidates to engage in examination malpractices. 

The Commission is reminding school authorities that these acts are clearly in breach of Section 28 of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as amended in 2019, which prohibits the offering and soliciting of an advantage; and the principles guiding the Free Quality Education. 

Similarly, Section 128(3) of the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Act of 2019 strongly prohibits examination malpractices of any kind; which penalty, upon conviction, is a fine of not less than Fifty (50) Million Leones or imprisonment of not less than Five years, or both such fine and imprisonment. 

The ACC therefore wishes to remind teachers, school authorities and the general public that receiving an advantage, whether solicited or not, is a crime under the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as amended in 2019. Any teacher, school authority or member of the public caught in the practice, and cannot provide policy justification from the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), will be seriously dealt with in accordance with the law. 

In this regard, members of the public are encouraged to report any of such corrupt acts to the ACC, by calling on the following free phone numbers: 077-985-985/077-986-986 and 515 (all networks).

For further enquiries on this and other ACC matters, please contact Margaret Murray, the Public Relations Officer on +232-78-832131.

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PATRICK SANDI

DIRECTOR, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH