Education minister Deng Deng Hoc speaks to reporters on 16 Dec, 2019. Credit: Charles Wote/Eye Radio

Several suspects have been arrested in connection with the sell of ‘fake’ examination papers.

This year’s secondary school leaving examinations started on Monday amidst reports that some question papers were being sold, or shared online.

Last week, the National Examinations Council denied reports of the malpractice-saying the exam papers are guarded by well-disciplined security officers.

But on Monday, the Minister of General Education said a number of people have been arrested for selling ‘fake’ examination papers.

“None of the exam papers have been leaked, all these are fake exams designed by desperate individuals who want to make money,” Deng denied after ringing the bell marking start of the examinations.

However, the education minister could not reveal how many suspects have been arrested.

“I have received quit a lot of copies and we compared them to the genuine exams that we have and they turned out to be fake all of them.”

Minister Deng said the suspects sold the purported exams at 10,000 South Sudanese Pounds.

“They have been arrested (but) I don’t know their number.  If you have been found to be producing your own exams, then you are punishable by the law because what you are doing is to damage the reputation of the exams, to damage the reputation of the country and that is not forgivable,” Deng added.

The act of exposing or leaking examinations is prohibited by the laws of South Sudan.