Principal, teacher in court for forging exam results

A Magistrate yesterday agreed with an attorney that police could have charged a school principal and teacher by summons rather than arrest them, especially while they were at work at the Fyzabad Secondary School.

Principal Troy Jebodhsingh, 55, and 40-year-old physical education teacher were arrested on Monday and kept in custody for three nights. They were charged with falsifying Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) results to enable two students to enrol in CAPE examinations which facilitated them playing in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) tournament this year.

Jebodhsingh and Lackhan appeared before senior magistrate Cherril-Ann Antoine in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court.

Antoine read to them that they were jointly charged with uttering two forged CXC certificates, at the Ministry of Education on September 5, knowing same to be forged and with intent to defraud. Four other charges were read to them separately.

Jebodhsingh, of Richardson Trace, Fyzabad, is also charged with misbehaviour as a principal and member of the Teaching Service Commission and with submitting and authorising the submission of false documents to a schools supervisor. It is also alleged that he misbehaved in office by signing a declaration on an SSFL players registration form, authorising the students to participate in the tournament knowing they were not bonafide students of the school and were not qualified to pursue the CAPE examinations.

Lackhan, of Oil Well Road, Massahood Junction, Fyzabad, is accused of uttering the SSFL application forms, bearing the school’s stamp and signature of the principal knowing them to be forged and with intent to defraud. Two charges of uttering forged CXC certificates to a schools supervisor were also read

Fraud Squad members went to the school at about midday on Monday and escorted Jebodhsingh and Lackhan to the Fraud Squad office in San Fernando. They were then taken to the San Fernando Police Station and kept in cells until yesterday. Jebodhsingh’s attorney, Chateram Sinanan, complained to Antoine that two warrants had been taken out on Wednesday for his client’s arrested although he was already in custody on Monday. Lakhan was represented by attorney Chris Ramlal. Agreeing with Sinanan, Antoine said it seemed strange the police needing a warrant to arrest the men given the nature of the allegations. “As I have already said, it could have been dealt with by summons,” Antoine reiterated.

Jebodhsingh was placed on $80,000 bail with a cash alternative of $10,000. Lakhan was placed on $50,000 bail with a cash alternative of $5,000. They are to appear in the Siparia Magistrates court on Wednesday next week for the offences relating to forging the signature and school stamp. On the charges of uttering the CXC results at the ministry, they will reappear before Antoine on Thursday next week.