Obuasi SHTS Case: One Complainant Withdraws, Another Faces Pressure

• One of two former students who filed complaints against the Obuasi SHTS headmaster has withdrawn her case
• A traditional ruler in the Obuasi area is alleged to have urged the second complainant's family to settle the matter out of court
• The Gender Minister says her ministry is working with DOVVSU and the Ghana Health Service over concerns about how the complaints were handled

One of the two former students who filed sexual abuse complaints against Zakaria Abdulai, headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), has withdrawn her case from police, with the remaining complainant now reportedly facing mounting pressure to do the same.

Police sources at Bekwai confirmed the withdrawal to myjoyonline.com, adding a new layer of concern to an investigation that was already drawing scrutiny over how the allegations have been handled.

First complaint in Obuasi SHTS case withdrawn

The second complainant has since raised alarms about persistent efforts to persuade her to drop her complaint, fuelling fears of interference in an active police investigation.

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The father of the second complainant alleged that a traditional ruler in the Obuasi area had stepped in and advised the family to resolve the matter without involving the authorities.

The Bekwai chief, Nana Yaw Anning II, has since confirmed that a delegation visited him in August in connection with the controversy. According to him, four people arrived at his residence and raised the issue of the headmaster's conduct.

Bekwai Chief speaks on Obuasi SHTS case

"In August, while I was at home, I received a visit from four individuals, one of whom was my subject. They explained that their visit concerned a student at Obuasi Senior High Technical School. They said the headmaster's actions had brought disgrace to the school," he recounted.

He said he acknowledged their appeal but noted that the matter was already under investigation.

"I told them that since the matter was already under investigation and they had come to plead on the matter, I would give it further consideration. They agreed and left. However, before leaving, they gave us 200 cedis to buy schnapps," he disclosed.

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Obuasi SHTS case: GES speaks on latest developments in campus controversy

The Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, confirmed that her ministry had intervened.

She said officials were coordinating with the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Health Service to address gaps in how the complaints were managed and to ensure the students received adequate protection.

"Our intervention is to go back to correct some of those things, and as to pressure being mounted on the girls not to report, I will give you information on that when we find the data speaking to that," she stated.

GES addresses Obuasi SHTS headmaster's status

Earlier, YEN.com.gh wrote about the Ghana Education Service’s decision to ask two education directors to step aside as investigations into allegations involving the Obuasi SHTS headmaster continue.

The service also reaffirmed that the headmaster remains interdicted.

The probe follows allegations that reportedly involve 16 students, while the headmaster has denied wrongdoing.

A previous GES committee said the evidence before it did not substantiate the allegations, and only four of the named students reportedly appeared before the committee.

Source: YEN.com.gh