Seven Suspects in Police Custody For Stealing Nearly 4,500 Textbooks

Monrovia – The Liberia National has arrested seven persons for allegedly stealing over 229 cartons of assorted textbooks and other items from the Ministry of Education on 3^rd Street, Sinkor.

A Police Statement said the men diverted the 4,417 books while transporting them from the main offices of the   Ministry of Education to the Ministry’s warehouse in Paynesville.

The seven men in Police custody include: Alexander Brown, a contractor at the Ministry of Education; Nelson Browne, an employee of MoE; and Collins Toe an officer of JAS Security Guard Service. Others are George Tomah, Aaron Sumo, Stephen Cooper, and Isaac Botany.

 The men were arrested following a complaint filed by the Deputy Minister of Education Aagon Tingba. Other items stolen by the men include 66 pieces of Liberian Flag, two bundles of assorted school bags.

Addressing students over the weekend at the June L. Moore Public School in Gbengbar Town, Paynesville, Minister of Education George Werner said the security of books and other school materials was everyone’s concern, including parents, teachers and the community because even the security guards could not be trusted. He was making reference to theft of the chest of books at the Ministry.

“You are asking for security guards but you do know that a truck load of books that you are to benefit from were stolen for the Ministry of Education when so many security guards were on duty,” he told a program at the school marking the opening of a reading room by a group Kids Educational Engagement Program (KEEP).

He said the best security was community leadership because people who steal from schools are known by the very students who see these items in people’s homes but won’t report.