NFED Official Caught With Stolen Goods

Passengers on a Kumasi bound bus from Wa were justifiably angry last Friday when the police stopped their vehicle at Bole almost midway through the journey and asked the driver to return to Wa.
But in a display of a high level of professionalism, the police team led by Deputy Superintendent Christian Bortsi, managed to convince the passengers on the need to cooperate with the police.

As the passengers would learn later, concealed in their bus, driven by Fuseini Suleman, were 20 sewing machines and 20 rain coats, part of a consignment meant for the Upper West Regional office of the Non-Formal Education Division of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports.

The items which were to be used as incentives for facilitators of the functional literacy programme were allegedly being diverted by Isahak Osman an employee of the NFED and a passenger on the bus.

Osman and Suleman were placed in police custody while the police continued with further investigations.

Briefing newsmen on the incident at Wa on Monday, the Deputy Regional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Robert Ayalingo, said acting on a tip-off on Friday that some goods of the NFED meant for the region were being loaded onto a Kumasi bound bus he led a team of policemen to the lorry station to verify but the bus had left when they got there.

Mr. Ayalingo said he subsequently sent information to Bole, Tumu and Lawra police stations to alert them to be on the look out for the vehicle and the items.

At about 10.45pm the vehicle was intercepted at a check point at Bole in the Northern Region with 20 “Butterfly” sewing machines and 20 rain coats concealed in compartments of the bus.