Egypt Arrests Officials For Selling Test Answers To Students

Muslim Tweens
LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty
Ali Waked

JAFFA, Israel – Twelve Egyptian Education Ministry officials have reportedly been arrested on suspicion that they leaked high school matriculation exam forms, putting the exam season, currently underway, at risk.

Among the detainees were the director of the exam center, the director of distribution, and the heads of the government printing press, after the forms were posted on the Facebook page “Cheaters United.”

The cheating syndicate has been accused of charging for answers, telling prospective buyers that the data would be sent from an administrator to cellular devices that they could smuggle into exam rooms.

The Interior Ministry’s cyber fraud unit intercepted the location of the administrator. In his possession, according to reports, were the schedules of the exams as well as a price list, ranging from 150 Egyptian pounds (US$15) for one exam to 900 ($90) for all of them.

The affair sparked a social media storm, with users criticizing the government’s corruption and others demanding harsh punishment for the offenders.

“Bravo to him!” Enas wrote. “He did what many of us were unable to do.”

“The name of the group alone – ‘Cheaters United’ – is sufficient grounds for his arrest,” Manar wrote.

“It wasn’t his fault,” Abdo wrote. “He’s part of a corrupt system that has permeated every walk of life. A corrupt mafia is running the country. Allah help us all.”

Mustafa tweeted that the suspect should be “slashed to pieces.”

https://twitter.com/MustafaBaydoun/status/739460182539919360?s=03

Khairy came out in the defense of the ministry officials: “It’s not just about them. There has been a culture of cheating for a long time.”

https://twitter.com/khairyatef/status/739409712383467520?s=03

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