The directors, management and staff of Learning Tree Academy, a private school in Accra said on Friday it is not in any way connected with the death of Master John Adiko, a former pupil of the school. The school expressed dismay at its complicity in the death of the boy by the 'Ghanaian Chronicle', a private daily paper and said Master Adiko was never in school on the day of his untimely death.

A statement in Accra signed by Dr Ken Agyeman Attafuah, and Mr Daniel Densu Afropong, Director and Manager of the school respectively, assured parents and well wishers that the school would continue to provide a safe and positive learning environment for its pupils.

The school registered its disappointment with the Chronicle for not contacting its authorities to establish the truthfulness of the matter before making the publication and demanded an unqualified apology and retraction of the story. The school's administration said the story had caused it a great embarrassment, ruined its reputation and resulted in a sharp decline in school attendance.

The statement said Master Adiko was enrolled in the school on Tuesday, October 1, 2002, 'but like most fresh children in a new environment,' he 'was unhappy and cried most of the day.

The statement said John never reported for school the next day and although the headteacher and two other teachers sat in turns at the gate from 0645 hours to 0900 hours, they never saw Adiko come through the school's gate. It added, that as at 1000 hours when Adiko had not turned up he was marked absent.

The school said it learned of the possible calamity of the boy when at 1200 hours, the mother called to check if he had been in school but she was answered in the negative. It said it received the news of the death of the boy on Thursday, October 3, with great shock and had in good faith co-operated with the police in their investigations and also given considerable support to the bereaved family. These include being present at the mortuary for the post mortem and playing an active role in the funeral and burial of the boy. It also donated cash and drinks to the family and had returned his school fees to the parents in good faith.

Meanwhile, the statement said a young woman who was asked to send the late Master Adiko to the school had confessed at the funeral service that she left the boy a few metres from the school gate and did not see him enter its walled compound.