The Volta Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has constituted a five-member committee to investigate the alleged theft of 109 tins of tomatoes, involving the storekeeper and the driver of the Tsito Senior High Technical School in the Ho-West District of the Volta Region last Friday, January 17.

The committee is to find out whether or not the alleged theft case is true, the people who were involved, and to submit a report to the Regional Directorate of the GES within one week.

The five-member committee has the Deputy Volta Regional Director of Education, Mrs. Marian Akua Adzroe, as the Chairperson; the Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO), Forgive Yao Agoha, as the Secretary; Chief Inspector of Schools, Eric Kofi Gamadeku; the Internal Auditor, Israel Nyamease; and Regional Accountant, John Baptist Aidoo.

The Volta Regional Public Relations Officer of the GES, Forgive Yao Agoha, who made this known to the Ghanaian Times in Ho, said the school driver and the taxi driver (names withheld) were in police custody as an investigation is being carried out on the incident.

Agoha explained that the presence of the headmaster, the Reverend Joy Kafui Akpebu, in the school was likely to affect investigations. Therefore, he was directed by the Volta Regional Directorate of Education to step aside as the committee began its investigation into the matter and did not interdict him as reported in the media.

Agoha continued that the Mawuli School, Sogakope Senior High School (SHS), and Kpando Senior High School (SHS) were the three major food distribution centres to schools in the region. When information reached the regional office last week that 109 cartons of tin tomatoes from the Mawuli School distribution centre were diverted, the necessary action was taken.

Furthermore, he stated that the headmaster of Tsito SHTS instructed the school driver to purchase two tires for the school bus and fix them to enable him to travel to the southern part of the region on official duty after the driver conveyed 75 cartons of tin tomatoes to the school and 50 cartons of tin tomatoes to the Awudome Senior High School (AWUSCO) in the same town.

Agoha said it was at the time the school driver was on his way to buy the two lorry tires that he went and offloaded boxes of tin tomatoes, which were kept in the school bus, in the bush between Sokode and Akrofu road, and was caught by Reverend Ekatso, who reported the incident to the police and the office.

According to the PRO, the recent incident of diversion of food items meant for schools was not the first time such an incident was recorded in the region. Some years back, when it happened and an investigation was carried out by the Regional office of the GES, one person was found liable and was dismissed.

Moreover, Agoha stressed that the Regional Directorate of the GES would not shield anybody, and when the committee submitted its report, whoever was found guilty would be dealt with according to the rules of the GES to serve as a deterrent to others with similar intentions.

A police source explained that the taxi driver and the school driver in police custody were being investigated for the criminal element of diversion of food items meant for schools, and after investigations, they were likely to be arraigned before court.