Ghanaian Students Face Court in US Over Transcript Forgery

KEY POINTS

• Three Ghanaian students accused of transcript forgery face court in the U.S.
• University investigation revealed altered grades that resulted in substantial financial aid.
• Defense attorney challenges evidence, citing potential translation issues.

On October 8, three Ghanaian students appeared in preliminary court on charges of falsifying high school transcripts in order to be admitted to Lehigh University. Otis Opoku, Henry Dabuo, and Evans Oppong are presently being detained at Northampton County Prison on several accusations of service theft and forgery.

Together with a fourth student, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, whose court appearance is set for October 15, the three were taken into custody by Lehigh University Police on September 9.

University uncovers discrepancies in submitted documents

During the hearing, Dan Warner, the vice provost for admissions and financial assistance at Lehigh University, stated that an internal audit had shown the disparities. Warner raised doubts about the legitimacy of the accused students’ transcripts by pointing out formatting errors and commonalities.

Warner claims that the inquiry discovered that the pupils’ supplied documents were modified copies of the legitimate transcripts from Kumasi, Ghana’s Opoku Ware School.

According to Graphic Online, the pupils were able to obtain substantial financial aid packages because the falsified transcripts displayed exaggerated grades. Dabuo received $129,344 in aid, while Oppong and Opoku both received $212,933 in aid.

Court delays arraignment as investigation continues

Evan Hughes, the defense lawyer, cast doubt on the veracity of the evidence, claiming that the transcripts were improperly validated in accordance with federal regulations for foreign documents in the United States. Hughes further proposed that the disparities might have resulted from translation and processing mistakes made by outside organizations participating in the admissions process.

The next arraignment is scheduled for November 7 after the hearing was deferred. As the investigation progresses and attorneys look for more information regarding the involvement of outside entities, the pupils are still being held.

A preliminary hearing for Sowah-Nai, the fourth student involved in the incident, is scheduled for October 15.