Police in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state says they are investigating the illegal sale of new syllabus text books in Aweil town market.

The investigations follows a complaint from the state Minister of Education that almost a thousand new text books had been stolen and were on sale in the market.

The police apprehended one of the booksellers in the market.

“I bought the books from officials within the Ministry of Education in the state,” He said.

“I got them from those who are working in the Ministry of education.

“There are some officers who are working in those branches of the ministry; they are the ones who brought those books.

“When he brings them, I pay him for it. That is why he always brought the books to me.

“Whenever people are looking for textbooks, they can get them, somewhere.”

Speaking during a press conference on Monday, the state Minister of Education Khon Deng Chan said UNICEF has stopped the donation of school materials because they were being misused.

In March, this year, three suspects were arrested over the sale of school materials and convicted of theft.