Teacher got with 400 books

Jul 12, 2010

FOR the last 12 years, he allegedly stole the text-books supplied to the school where he served as a teacher and librarian. However, his luck ran out on Saturday.

By Chris Ocowun

FOR the last 12 years, he allegedly stole the text-books supplied to the school where he served as a teacher and librarian. However, his luck ran out on Saturday.

John Bosco Komakech of Koch-Amar Primary School in Koch-Goma sub-county in Nwoya district said he exploited the poor record keeping system at the school to pinch the books.

He was nabbed after the parents of the school reported that they had got some text books bearing the stamp of Koch-Amar Primary School being sold by Komakech’s wife at sh10,000 each.

“We searched his house at Kirombe in Gulu town and only got two copies of text books; but we decided to go to his home at Kweyo in Ongako sub-county where got 400 text books,” the LC3 chairman of Koch-Goma sub-county, John Bosco Okullu, narrated.

Of the recovered books, 330 copies had stamps of Koch-Amar Primary School, while others belonged to Sir Samuel Baker School, Negri College, Koch-Kalang and Koch-Goma Central Primary School.

Two office chairs and one table with Komakech’s name written under them were also recovered. Okullu said Komakech confessed after being arrested that he picked about seven text-books from the school, which he had at his home.

Komakech was handed over to Koch-Goma sub-county Police. “I started picking these text books one by one in 1998 and keeping them at my home for reference and for future use by my four children. I now beg for forgiveness from the authorities,” Komakech pleaded.

He teaches P.4 up to P6.Schools in the north receive donations from mainly the Government and NGOs. “There are many school text books which are with children in the villages and camps. I don’t want to mention names of teachers who have such books at their home, but there are many teachers keeping school text books with them,” he told the Police.

Komakech, 38, is a Grade-three teacher from Gulu Core PTC. He attended St. Joe Primary School before joining Koch-Goma SS for his O’ level education. He is married with four children.

The Police said investigations into the matter were still going on, adding that Komakech would most likely be charged with theft and burglary.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});