Sanctions are beginning to be imposed on baccalaureate candidates suspected of fraud. Several of them have appeared in court.
Candidates registered for the baccalaureate and individuals who sat the exam in their place have been incarcerated in Ambilobe and Tsiroanomandidy. “The court has placed them in pre-trial detention for forgery and use of forged documents,” sources in these two cities reported yesterday.
In Ambilobe, seven people, including four registered candidates, appeared before the court. Two candidates, caught red-handed cheating with cheat sheets during the tests, were placed under judicial supervision. The other two were placed in pre-trial detention for forgery and use of forged documents after having substitutes take the tests for them. Their replacements, as well as a third person suspected of facilitating the identity theft, were also incarcerated.
“The impostors presented themselves for the exam with the candidates’ national identity cards, after replacing the identity photos with their own,” a source in Ambilobe explained.
In Tsiroanomandidy, a fake candidate was also jailed. The candidate she was replacing is still being sought by law enforcement and also faces criminal penalties.
In Antananarivo, candidates caught in the act of fraud during the tests also face administrative sanctions. “Regarding the University of Antananarivo, those involved will appear before the Disciplinary Council (Codis),” stated an official from the institution. The date for this appearance has not yet been set.
Several anomalies were noted at the beginning of the 2026 baccalaureate session, according to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. These mainly concern candidate substitutions and fraud involving the use of phones and connected devices in exam rooms, despite them being strictly prohibited.
According to the ministry, candidates caught in the act of fraud face a ban from participating in any official exam for a period of one to five years. These administrative sanctions do not exclude potential prison sentences.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-30 05:53:46 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/examen-national-des-candidats-au-bac.html