Four suspects at the centre of a 2023 BGCSE exam leak appeared before a Francistown Magistrates court this week facing charges that could land them behind bars for up to ten years.
Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) discovered the shocking breach in November last year and reported the matter to Maun police station.
Detective Assistant Commissioner Sergeant Marapo and his team embarked on the high-stakes investigations that led them to the arrest of Chief Invigilator Tshepo Oakile who is the first accused in the matter.
Oakile is believed to have masterminded the theft of the exam papers which included English Paper 1 and 2, Mathematics 1 and 2, Science Double Award Papers 1, 2, 3, and 4, Social Studies 1 and 2 and Geography Paper 1, 2, and 3.
Accused number two and three, Precious Phalantwa and Baroma Moagi Baroma are said to have unlawfully received the leaked examination papers from Oakile in Francistown between 18th September and 6th October last year, knowing fully that they were stolen and belonged to BEC.
The fourth accused, Bonnete Banuza Saxhoma, is also accused of the same offence of unlawfully receiving the documents belonging to BEC on the same dates in Maun.
The leaked papers threw the integrity of 2023 BGCSE final examinations into disarray, forcing postponement of the exams by an additional two weeks to 30th October.
Reprinting of the exam question papers cost the government a staggering P10 million, making this one of the costliest scandals in Botswana’s education history.
If found guilty, the accused quartet faces charges under the amended BEC Act, which carry penalties of between P200, 000 and P500, 000 in fines, or a prison term not exceeding 10 years.
Since the alleged crime was committed in Maun, Francistown and Selebi Phikwe, a decision was taken to take the case to a regional court in Francistown to make it easy for witnesses and reduce government expenditure.
The prosecution led by State Counsels Universe Kabecha of Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Maun and Moffat Dick from DPP Francistown secured conditional bail for the accused who were also required to provide sureties.
The accused will be back in court for their next mention set for January 28th next year.
