Two persons who allegedly attempted to sell fake West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) question papers to some students of Achimota School have been arrested by the police. The suspects, Desmond Okemiri and Joseph John, both 29 were grabbed after being exposed by the students in their attempt to sell fake Integrated Science 1 and 2 and Core Mathematics 2 questions for the May/June WASSCE at GH¢500. The two were picked up when the students alerted the authorities of the school to the deal, who in turn alerted the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). Upon their arrest, the two suspects told newsmen that the attempt to sell the question papers to the students was only to give the students a likely prediction of what to expect in the main examination". "It was just a kind of reading point for the students," Okemiri told journalists at the WAEC office in Accra. The Head of the Examinations Department of WAEC, Nii Christian Johnson, said the council was informed by the authorities of Achimota School last week that the suspects had entered the school to sell the fake question papers. He said one of the students negotiated on behalf of his colleagues, feigned interest in buying the question papers and as the deal was being transacted the police, who had taken cover, pounced on the suspects and apprehended them. After a thorough check of the papers, he said, it was realised that the two had, with the aid of a computer, changed the November 2006 SSSCE Integrated Science l and 2 papers to May/June 2009 WASSCE Integrated Science papers. Mr Johnson said security features on the question papers also indicated that they were not the May/June 2009 WASSCE question papers, showing that they were, indeed, fake. He commended Achimota School, especially the students, for exposing the two and said students had always been reminded during sensitisation programmes to look out for such persons. He advised students preparing for WAEC's examinations to prepare well, since the questions were culled from what they had studied in school. The acting Head of the National Office of WAEC, Mr John Yao Newlands, urged parents and the public at large to support the fight against examination cheats. He said parents especially should encourage their children to study, since answers to the questions are within their reach". Meanwhile, 157,997 candidates from 577 schools are writing the May/June 2009 WASSCE. The examination, which ends on May 28, 2009, will be written at 537 centres. The total number of candidates, which increased by 15.38 per cent over last year's, comprises 87, 877 males and 70,121 females. The Ashanti Region has the highest number of candidates of 38,449, while the Upper West Region has the least number of 3,358. Source: Daily Graphic