Prosecutor joins hunt for exam cheats

Date: 12/11/1998

By Rory Watson

THE Belgian authorities have been called in by the European Commission to help in the search for the culprits who sabotaged the latest EU staff recruitment competition.

The institution has handed over the initial findings of its own internal inquiry into alleged cheating in the examination to the Brussels public prosecutor after confirming that it had found "strong evidence that a number of candidates had access in Brussels to the content of the tests in advance of the competition itself".

Although there were chaotic scenes at three of the 37 examination centres, in Rome, Milan and Brussels, it was the fact that some of the 30,000 applicants had clearly received leaked copies of the preselection tests which persuaded the Commission to cancel the concours and run it again early next year.

Partly because of the embarrassment which the incident has caused, the institution has conducted its internal inquiry far more quickly than many previous investigations into allegations of fraud or professional misconduct by its officials.

"The decision to hand over what we have to the Belgians shows that the Commission is really serious about getting to the bottom of this as quickly as possible," explained one official. "We will also be continuing our own internal inquiries to determine where the responsibility lies."

The Belgian authorities will be free to question any individuals outside the Commission who helped the institution to prepare the tests and it is likely that any request to lift the immunity of fonctionnaires working in the institution would be swiftly granted.

The embarrassing episode has also led to demands for far tougher penalties to be imposed on candidates who are caught cheating, and stricter controls on those sitting the exam following complaints that many applicants left the room during the examination, ostensibly to go the toilet, but then made calls on their mobile phones.

"Such phones should be taken off people before they enter the room and if anyone is found using one for whatever purpose, they should be confiscated, and that should be made clear at the outset," said one of the Commission's 650 invigilators.

An internal report on staffing policy prepared by a small group under the Commission's former Secretary-General David Williamson has also suggested that the current practice of holding one exam on the same day throughout the Union for tens of thousands of candidates from the 15 member states should be reviewed.

It suggests that while the Commission should retain overall control of the concours, member states should also become involved, providing the necessary infrastructure and supervisory staff for each exam. The later stages of the recruitment procedure would then be conducted centrally in Brussels solely by the Commission.