By Umu Bah
FREETOWN – The High Court of Sierra Leone has convicted Issa Kamara, Chief Examiner of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), on multiple corruption-related offences, including academic malpractice. The ruling, delivered by Justice Cosmotina Jarrett on May 22, 2025, marks a major win for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in its ongoing crackdown on exam fraud and abuse of public office.
Kamara, a resident of No. 82 Hanga Road, Jui, pleaded guilty to five counts under the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 (as amended in 2019), namely: Abuse of Office, Abuse of Position, Conspiracy to Commit a Corruption Offence, Influencing a Public Officer, and Academic Malpractice.
According to court records, Kamara exploited his position during the May/June 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) by retrieving an examination script belonging to his nephew, Foday Fasuluku Mansaray, and handing it to Ibrahim Kamara—another individual—who answered several questions before it was returned and inserted among other scripts for official marking.
The court sentenced Kamara to pay Le 170,000 in fines—Le 30,000 for each of the first four offences, and Le 50,000 for the fifth count—or serve five years in prison. Justice Jarrett further imposed a five-year professional ban, preventing Kamara from teaching, working as a chief examiner, or engaging in any activity that may allow him to commit academic malpractice.
The ACC, in a public statement, emphasized the significance of the conviction, which highlights the agency’s commitment to uprooting exam malpractice and restoring integrity in Sierra Leone’s education system.
“The ACC is sending a strong message that corruption in any form, especially where it undermines the future of our students and the credibility of our national examinations, will not be tolerated,” said a spokesperson.
Meanwhile, proceedings continue at the High Court for Ibrahim Kamara, the individual who allegedly assisted in the fraudulent answering of the exam script.
The Commission has urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspected acts of corruption.
