Department Conducts Inquiry into Missing Stock of School Textbooks

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Madhura Seneviratne says a departmental investigation committee has been appointed to investigate the incident involving a stock of school textbooks going missing.

The Deputy Minister said that the police are also conducting investigations into the incident.

Police said investigations have revealed that after the stock of textbooks was handed over for transportation, the first suspect sold it to a location in the Alawwa area, while the owner of that location subsequently sold the stock to a centre in Narammala.

The textbooks were later transported from there to Wattala, police said.

The Department of Education Publications had handed over the stock of textbooks on May 24 for distribution to schools in the Eastern Province.

The consignment, which was handed over for transportation, consisted of Tamil-language activity books and textbooks worth more than Rs. 800,000 for the third term of Grade One students. 

The five suspects arrested in connection with the incident have been remanded until the 25th.