A former Headmaster of the Centre College in Kintampo in the Bono East Region, Joseph B. Y. Dery, has been apprehended by the internal security of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), in conjunction with the Kintampo Police Command.
Mr Dery was arrested based on allegations of defrauding the public through deceptive practices related to the West African Senior School Certificate Examination School Candidate (WASSCE (SC) 2024 registration and is assisting the Kintampo police with further investigation and legal proceedings.
Mr Dery, aged 52, who is the owner/Principal of Sprinkles of God SHS, Kintampo, once served as the Assistant Supervisor for the WASSCE (SC), 2019 at the Centre College.
Centre status
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Head of the Public Relations unit of the WAEC, John Kapi, said preliminary investigations by the security services revealed that on February 15, 2024, Mr Dery applied to the council for the inspection and granting of a centre status for WASSCE (SC), 2024 which was not granted due to late application.
He explained that while awaiting a response from the council, Mr Dery employed various platforms, including social media, and local and desperate and unsuspecting prospective examination candidates to register for the WASSCE(SC), 2024.
“Victims were misled by banners suggesting that the place was a registration centre for the WASSCE(SC) 2024,” Mr Kapi told the Daily Graphic. He said as part of his set-up, Mr Dery displayed a Dell laptop, a biometric device, an external hard drive and a modem.
“A white piece of cloth on a wall served as background for taking passport-size pictures and his mobile phone served as the camera. “Investigations, however, revealed that Mr Dery only allowed the victims to put their fingers on the biometric device but failed to capture their images or fingerprints as part of the registration process,” the WAEC PRO said.
Mr Kapi said it was further revealed that he charged his victims an amount of GH¢3,400 each and as of the time of his arrest, 34 victims had paid various amounts ranging from GH¢1,000 to GH¢3,400, as documented in his receipt book titled, “Admission and WASSCE Registration for WASSCE(SC), 2024.”
Source: GraphicOnline
