GRi in Court Ghana 27 - 10 - 2000
Student jailed for possessing forged results slips
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 Oct. 2000
An Accra Circuit Tribunal on Thursday sentenced Patrick Kwame Sovinu, a student to 12 months' imprisonment in hard labour (IHL), for possessing two forged examination results slips.
Sovinu, 20, pleaded guilty to the four counts of issuing forged BECE results slip, issuing of forged SSCE results slips, possessing forged BECE and possessing forged SSCE results slips.
The tribunal chaired by Mr Ziblim Moru sentenced Sovinu to 12 months imprisonment IHL on count one, 12 months IHL on count two, seven months IHL on count three, and seven months IHL on count four, all to run concurrently.
It also ordered that the forged result slips should be destroyed in the presence of the court's registrar. The genuine result slips should be restored to Sovinu.
Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Alice Takyiwah told the tribunal that the complainant is the Deputy Registrar of the National Scholarship Secretariat in Accra.
In 1995, an elder brother of the complainant introduced Sovinu as a Junior Secondary School graduate from Abutia who completed school in 1994.
Sovinu's BECE results slips indicated that he had scored grade one in all the 11 subjects and Sovinu needed assistance to continue his education.
Based on his good results, the complainant awarded him a scholarship and he was admitted at Presbyterian Boy's Secondary School, Legon in 1996, the prosecutor said. Sovinu later presented an SSCE results slips to the scholarship secretariat indicating he scored grade 'A' in all the seven subjects.
Prosecution said the Scholarship secretariat awarded Sovinu a Czech Friendship Association Secretariat scholarship to study abroad.
Sovinu's examination results were sent to the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for verification but it found out that he failed in all but one subject.
Sovinu's BECE results slips were also examined and it was found out that the slip had been forged.
A report was made to the police and Sovinu was arrested.
GRi../