Exam cheating probe opens with Chinnapat summons
The probe against Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat for alleged grave disciplinary offences has already started.
Chinnapat, who is set to retire at the end of September, will not receive any retirement benefits until the case against him reaches a final conclusion.
“This case should be completed by November 17,” Apichart Jeerawuth said yesterday in his capacity as chair of the panel in charge of the disciplinary probe. He is also secretary-general of the Office of Higher Education Commission.
Chinnapat has been accused of dereliction after cheating hit an Obec recruitment exam to fill the positions of assistant teachers.
Yesterday, he responded to the Apichart-chaired committee’s summons to acknowledge the allegations against him.
According to Apichart, a panel chaired by the Education Ministry’s permanent secretary Panita Kambhu na Ayutthaya has forwarded information related to the case. This committee has recommended that Chinnapat face the probe for grave disciplinary offences. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has also submitted more than 1,000 pages of data related to the case.
Apichart said his committee would have 60 days to gather evidence and listen to witnesses as well as the accused. “After that, we will form an opinion and inform the education minister,” Apichart said. He said his panel could recommend light punishment, harsh punishment or no punishment at all based on evidence.
In a related development, DSI senior official Thanin Prempree said there were 51 suspected exam cheaters in Nakhon Ratchasima alone.
“We will summon them and ask them to do the exam again to see if they can really score highly,” Thanin said. Suspicion of cheating emerged after hundreds of test takers scored unusually high marks.
Thanin said cheaters, if convicted, would face criminal proceedings because they had illegitimately solicited the distribution of the Obec recruitment exam questions and answers.
He added that those who provided the cheating services would be brought to justice too. “Many more people are involved. We will soon press charges against them,” he said.
A DSI official speaks to one of the witnesses.
