The regional education director for regional 6, Claudiana Cole, was Wednesday appeared before magistrate Isatou Janneh at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court sued by one Ague Isaac, the principal and proprietor of Model Senior School.
The plaintiff, Mr Isaac, is claiming the sum of D880,000 being PEGEP money for supporting female education in Model Senior Secondary School situated at Busumbala village, for which the defendant denied any liability.
The plaintiff‘s counsel, lawyer LK Mboge, submitted before the court that the plaintiff is the principal and proprietor of the said school, and that Mr Isaac has been supporting the school since 1998 without any complaint from the 1st defendant.
He said the 1st defendant is having D880,000 in her account being PEGEP money for supporting girl’s education in the school, and she has refused to surrender the money to the school.
Counsel Mboge further told the court that the plaintiff bought a piece of land in Busumbala village, and constructed the school whilst they were renting in Brikama.
He tendered a copy of the transfer of ownership document from the Busumbala Village Development Committee to the plaintiff, which was endorsed by all the relevant local authorities such as the village alkalo, chief and the area council.
The school presently has 150 students from Grades 10 to 12 and the plaintiff, Mr Isaac, was in the process of enrolling new students for Grade 10 for the 2015 academic year, which was in line with the government’s education policy, with 75 per cent female enrolment in the school.
He said the 1st defendant by virtue of being the regional education director in region 6 was trying to take over the school from the plaintiff, Ague Isaac.
The 1st defendant with support from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, the second defendant, wrote to the plaintiff to hand over the school to the regional education office, he said.
The 2nd defendant, region 2 in Brikama, also stopped the plaintiff from accepting new intakes for the academic year for the said school, he added.
The 1st defendant was trying to achieve something through the back way, counsel added.
He said the school is the brainchild of the plaintiff, Mr Isaac, who has never jeopardised any part of the school, adding that the 1st defendant was still in possession of PEGEP’s money and doing everything possible to take the school from the plaintiff.
Counsel Mboge further submitted that the money was for the female students in the said school, adding that unless the defendants were restrained by the court they would take over the school from the plaintiff.
The 1st defendant told the court that she did not write a letter to plaintiff, and that the said letter was from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in Banjul.
The matter was adjourned to 29 September 2014, for the hearing to continue.
