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The West African Examination Council has assured candidates writing this year's West African Senior School Certificate Examination that it will not cancel any of the leaked question papers.

About three papers - Oral English, Integrated Science, Social Studies and physics - were reportedly leaked ahead of the writing of the papers but the Council says "The papers already written will not be cancelled.

A statement issued Wednesday and signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe said notwithstanding the leak, the remaining papers will be taken as scheduled.

The statement said although there were some different versions of the leaked questions in circulation prior to the release of the official questions, it later discovered that "some authentic questions went into circulation after the papers were released to the examination centres".

The Council says it suspects the leak was spearheaded through the connivance of some persons engaged for the conduct of the examination and their agents.

"The Council, with the assistance of the security agencies, is tracking down these persons for prosecution," the statement read, and warned candidates to stay away from such leaked materials as the Council has mechanisms to detect those who benefit from the malpractices.

It said those detected to have benefitted from the leak will be sanctioned.

"The investigations will continue and person found culpable will be sanctioned as appropriate. The council urges all candidates to remain calm and focused, in the wake of these unfortunate developments," it added.

Meanwhile, the Council is urging the public to offer information that could help it prevent further malpractice, and asked the media to be circumspect in their reportage on the issue inorder not to create "unnecessary anxiety among candidates".