MASSIVE EXTORTION RING AT THE DEC DISMANTLED: Eight Executives Face the CRIET
A resounding financial scandal is shaking the Beninese educational sector. Eight officials from the Directorate of Examinations and Contests (DEC) are being prosecuted before the special prosecutor’s office at the Court for the Repression of Economic Crimes and Terrorism (CRIET) for trading in influence and extortion linked to the bonuses of supervisors for the Primary School Certificate (CEP), 2026 session.
According to revelations by the spokesperson for the Republican Police, Chief Commissioner Éric Orou Yérima, the investigation uncovered a well-oiled predatory system that had reportedly been operating for several years:
Illegal quota system: Ten department heads at the DEC arbitrarily allocated themselves five supervisor slots each to place relatives, whether teachers or not.
Massive deductions on bonuses: While the official amount stands at 200,000 FCFA per supervisor, covert withholdings of up to 160,000 FCFA were demanded. Some agents ultimately received as little as 40,000 FCFA.
Blackmail and threats: Recalcitrant teachers were faced with threats of punitive transfers.
The head of the DEC secretariat has been identified as the main instigator of these maneuvers, supported by several department heads.
Following their presentation to the special prosecutor’s office, one person was remanded in custody, and seven others are being prosecuted without a warrant. Although the accused enjoy the presumption of innocence, bringing the case before the CRIET marks a crucial step toward cleaning up the administration of national examinations in Benin.
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