Official allegedly involved in college entrance exam scam

By Yang Lifei  |   2008-6-19  |     ONLINE EDITION

A GOVERNMENT official in Shandong Province is suspected to have organized 16 students to take the National College Entrance Examination for others in Tianshui, Gansu Province, Legal Daily reported.

Huo Jigang, vice director of the Yanggu County Forestry Bureau, allegedly entrusted a chemistry teacher Wei Chengjia and a laid-off female worker Zhang Yuru to solicit students, all of whom are studying in senior 2 at Guyang No. 1 High School.

Police in Tianshui have arrested Wei and Zhang, but the report did not say whether Huo had been detained.

The exam substitutes set off from their hometown on June 3 and arrived in Tianshui the next day. They alleged that their teacher Wei told them that they would attend an examination outside their city, the report said.

Wei later confessed that he dare not tell the truth because Tianshui was in the area hit an 8.0-magnitude earthquake on May 12.

``It may have hindered the students' performance in the exam if they were aware they were heading for Tianhui,'' he told the newspaper.

All 16 students have returned to Shandong after being questioned by police.

On the morning of June 7, the first day of the three days of exams, invigilators became suspicious about a boy who did not write his own name correctly. The boy claiming to be ``Yan Tao'' was later confirmed to be an exam substitute. He was immediately taken out of the classroom, the report said.

Tianshui police were called and they detained two suspects later that day. By the afternoon of June 8, a total of 16 students were caught taking examinations for others.

Both the Shandong and Gansu governments have set up special task forces to conduct a thorough investigation. The result will be released in a few days and those found guilty of organizing exam cheats will be severely punished.