ITB to investigate cheating ring

The Bandung Technology Institute (ITB) will soon begin investigating allegations that nine of its students enrolled in the university entrance test so they could sell the answers to real applicants taking the exam in Makassar on Wednesday.

A special team from ITB has been assigned to investigate the activities of the suspects, known locally as "jockeys."

Tempointeraktif.com reported that the special team would consist of three people and would leave for Makassar on Sunday afternoon.

Nanang Puspito, one of the investigators, said the team was scheduled to meet with the Hasanuddin rector Monday.

Widyo Nugroho Sulasdi, deputy rector of the students and alumnae organization at ITB, said the team would also be meeting with the Makassar police to clarify the allegations made against the students.

Adang Surahman, deputy rector of academic affairs at ITB, said he did not know what faculties the students came from.

“But they were smart students with a high index of performance (IP),” Adang said.

The ITB would evaluate the severity of the students' actions, he said, as the benchmark for applying academic sanctions if needed. (ewd)