A major investigation is now underway after startling revelations that examination papers for dentistry students at the Fiji School of Medicine have been leaked to students over a number of years.

Speaking to Village News, FSM Dean David Brewster confirms that a senior lecturer in dentistry has been implicated in the scandal and has since resigned from the institution before he could be terminated.

Brewster confirms that the matter has been referred to the police for investigations as well, as it is alleged that the lecturer concerned had been leaking the Year three Dentistry exam papers for a number of years.

According to the FSM Dean, the lecturer concerned confessed to his crimes and has implicated a former Head of School in the scandal. The former Head of School implicated was terminated by the FSM earlier in relation to separate corruption charges.

An external independent investigator has also been brought in by the FSM to carry out thorough investigations to try and track down students of FSM who may have cheated their way into graduating in past years after the exam papers were leaked to them.

Brewster stresses that it is their priority to maintain the standards and integrity of the institution and to protect the public from the incompetent practitioners who would have resorted to purchasing the exam papers to graduate.

It has also been confirmed that the exam results for the year three dentistry students has been compromised and the Academic Board of FSM has annulled the results and the students concerned will have to re-sit the examination in January.

Brewster stresses that no student who is expected to graduate this year is affected and they had hoped to keep the matter out of the media until after the graduation ceremony scheduled for tomorrow.

Police are expected to comment later today.