By: Mohamed J. Bangura
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has indicted two persons on three counts of corruption offences in connection with alleged academic malpractice during the May 2026 National Primary School Examination (NPSE).
According to a press release issued by the Commission on October 8, 2026, the accused are Ibrahim Sorie Kamara, a teacher at the Sierra Leone Muslim Brotherhood Primary School and an examiner for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and Mohamed Musa Koroma, a student at Freetown Polytechnic, Jui Campus, who resides at 29 Oniel Street, Sorie Town, Freetown.
The Commission said the two men face three counts of corruption offences. Each accused faces one count of academic malpractice, contrary to Section 128(3) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12 of 2008, as amended by the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 2019. They are also jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, contrary to Section 128(1) of the same Act.
According to the particulars of the offences, the ACC alleges that between May 1 and July 31, 2026, in Freetown, the accused conspired with other unknown persons to engage in corrupt activities relating to the marking of scripts for English Paper II (Paper Code 05) of the May 2026 NPSE, conducted by WAEC.
The Commission further alleges that Kamara, in his capacity as a WAEC examiner, unlawfully transferred four envelopes containing examination scripts to Koroma, who was neither an appointed WAEC examiner nor an authorized custodian of the examination materials. Kamara also resides at 46 Kamara Lane, Mansaray Step, Devil Hole, Freetown.
The press release stated that further investigations led to Koroma’s apprehension in Waterloo, where he was allegedly found in possession of three red envelopes containing WAEC examination scripts. The ACC further alleged that Koroma had represented to a woman identified as Rashidatu Lois Bangura that he could facilitate the rewriting or adjustment of candidates’ answers.
The indictment forms part of the ACC’s efforts to tackle examination malpractice, which the Commission has described as a form of corruption that undermines merit, damages the credibility of public examinations and threatens the future of pupils.
The NPSE is a critical national examination that determines pupils’ progression from primary school to junior secondary school. The integrity of its marking process is therefore essential to maintaining public confidence in Sierra Leone’s education system.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the integrity and credibility of public examinations and combating academic malpractice and other forms of corruption across the country.