Four Students Jailed Over Four Years for Cheating in 2013 MSCE

2013 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE)

The Dedza First Grade Magistrate Court Friday sentenced a student and his three accomplices to four and a half years imprisonment for cheating in the 2013 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) Examinations.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Patrick Chambuluka told the court that Eric Maxwell, 24, who was sitting for the examinations as an external candidate at Dedza Secondary School had connived with Alfred Chimoto, 21, Tawina Ntambo, 27, Innocent Chankhumba, 23, to be sourcing him leaked MSCE examination papers.

"On Wednesday, Maxwell's phone registered a message which listed questions in a Geography paper he was about to write. Unfortunately for him the phone was in the custody of an invigilator who compared the texted questions to the questions in the actual geography paper and found that they tallied," he said.

He said Maxwell was arrested after the invigilator tipped the police.

"We further arrested his three accomplices who were sourcing the MSCE examination papers and sending them through text messages," said Chambuluka.

The four pleaded guilty to a charge of gaining access to examinations without authority.

In his verdict, First Grade Magistrate Damiano Banda said the four needed a stiff punishment to send a stern message to other students that cheating does not pay.

Maxwell and Chimoto come from Chimasula village in Traditional Authority Kaphuka in Dedza; Ntambo is from Mulonda village in Traditional Authority Mlumbe in Zomba while Chankhumba comes from Kawonenji village in Traditional Authority Masula in Lilongwe.