MUHANGA - Police have arrested another suspected exam cheat in a growing spate of malpractices that rocked the national secondary school examinations, which end today.

Semias Ngezehayo was arrested on Monday in connection with exam malpractices in Muhanga District, Southern Province.

He became the fifth arrested suspected exam cheat since the examinations began last week.

The others were charged and remanded on exam malpractices and impersonation charges.

Police nabbed Ngezehayo at St Marie Aline Examinations Centre while sitting the exams in the names of Edward Ndekezi, a private Senior Six candidate who is believed to have hired the former as a mercenary.

Ngezehayo had successfully sat four papers for Ndekezi before arrest, police officers said.

However, the Rwanda National Examination Council (RNEC) Executive Secretary, John Rutayisire (pictured right)  yesterday declared the papers (Ngezehayo sat for) invalid as prescribed by the National Exam Law.

Ndekezi who is a businessman from Kigali hired Ngezehayo, who sat his Senior Six papers in economics in 1996, according to records.

On Monday, when police cornered Ngezehayo during an accounts examination paper, he had a national identity card baring his photo but in the names of Ndekezi.

Police suspect Ndekezi who is still at large is out of the country, probably in Kampala, Uganda.

Last Friday, four suspects were charged with impersonation and exam malpractices and sent on remand for seven days by various courts of First Instance.

They include Innocent Bimenyimana, a nurse at Ruhengeri Hospital, and Teliphine Nirere, both remanded by Muhoza Court of First Instance in Northern Province.

Others sent on remand by Nyagatare Court of First Instance in the Eastern Province are Juliet Mucagacinya, a teacher in Gatsibo District and Emmanuel Nsengiyumva.

The quartet is due to re-appear in court on Friday.

Ends