Administrator squanders school fees

Sampa (B/A), June 19, GNA - Bernard Banasco, administrator of Great Light Academy International School at Sampa in Jaman North District of Brong Ahafo, has been remanded in prison custody by a magistrates' court for misappropriating the registration fees of seven final year students of the school.

The misdemeanour of the suspect thus prevented the candidates from writing this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Prosecuting, Police Inspector Godfred K. Ansah told the court, presided by Mr. William Boampong, a circuit judge sitting with additional responsibility at the magistrates' court, that Banasco was alleged to have squandered the registration fees paid by the final year students.

The school authorities filed a suit against the accused at the Sampa magistrates' court, where he pleaded guilty with explanation. His explanation was that although he spent the amount, only one candidate could not write the examination and not seven as alleged. The prosecutor stated that Banasco said the other six students rather absented themselves on the examination days for reasons best known to them.

Banasco later apologized for his action and promised to pay the amount before September this year when he was confronted by the school authorities, Inspector Ansah said. The prosecutor added that when the school authorities filed the suit despite his apology he consulted his church on the matter. The church authorities agreed to pay the money within the shortest possible time and pleaded with the court to exercise restraint. The court, however, did not take his plea and remanded him in prison custody to reappear in court in a week's time to pay the amount before his final sentence would be determined.