Musanze - Four people who were arrested on Tuesday in connection with Senior Six examination cheating have been charged and remanded.

The suspects who include a medical doctor, Innocent Bimenyimana, were produced before two courts of first instance yesterday and charged with impersonation and exam malpractices, police said.

They were sent on remand for seven days.

Bimenyimana, 31, a doctor at Musanze Hospital together with Teliphine S. Nirere, 32, appeared before Muhoza Court of First Instance in Northern Province.

Both were arrested at EER Ruhengeri Examination Centre on Tuesday.

Juliet Mukagacinya, a teacher, and Emmanuel Nsengiyumva were also charged and sent on remand by Nyagatare Court of First Instance in Eastern Province.

Police said the suspects were charged in accordance with Article 30 of the 2001 National Examination Law, which prescribes penalties for whoever caught cheating exams.

Police detectives said suspects have all pleaded guilty after being caught red-handed in examination rooms and that would be vital evidence to assist prosecution in the court proceedings.

Bimenyimana is accused of sitting the exam for Nirere who was the legitimate private candidate and is a practicing nurse at Gasiza Dispensary Centre in Kinigi Sector.

Nirere is believed to have hired the doctor as a mercenary. The pair had interchanged identities on the answer sheets in the examination.

News of the arrests came after Rwanda National Examination Council (RNEC) Executive Secretary, John Rutayisire, had warned candidate students against cheating exams.

On Thursday, Rutayisire said the law will take its course against the suspects, who face a possible jail term of 2-10 years if found pronounced guilty.

"We have provided the concerned authorities in Nyagatare and Musanze districts with the national examination law and we expect fair justice in this case,” he said.

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