The police and residents of Akaa, in the Jasikan Municipality of the Oti Region, have intensified their search for a 74-year-old man, who allegedly tied a nine-year-old primary school boy to a tree for "stealing" oranges.

Timothy Gyamfi Mensah, a retired circuit supervisor of the Ghana Education Service (GES), who allegedly tied the boy with nylon rope to an orange tree for allegedly stealing two oranges, has absconded.

The boy was rescued by some members of the community when his grandmother, MsAmaBekoe Donkor, raised the alarm that he (boy) was tied to the tree after the incident went viral on video.

Checks by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) indicated that the entire Akaa community was shocked that a retired circuit su

pervisor could do that to a school boy.

Mr Entwi Baikaa, a citizen of Akaa, and Government Appointee at the Jasikan Municipal Assembly, confirmed the story to the GNA, in an interview.

He said when the boy went to Mr Mensah's house and plucked two oranges, Mr Mensah grabbed and tied him (boy) to the orange tree.

Mr Baikaa said the people of Akaa had information about the incident when a video of the scene went viral.

Mr Baikaa said Mr Gyamfi was currently at large, and the grandmother took the boy to the Jasikan Municipal Hospital, where he had been treated and discharged and was currently back at Akaa.

Mr Baikaa said the police from Jasikan had started investigation into the case.

Mr Baikaa, who is also acting as Assembly Member for Akaa Electoral Area, said the case had been reported to the Jasikan Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs Elizabeth KessiwaaAnim-Adjanor, who promised to ensure that justice prevailed.

Mr Annobil Isaac, Jasikan Municipal Director of Health Services, when contacted by GNA, said the case had not come to her attention, but promised to check from the OPD and get back to the reporter on Monday.

Meanwhile, the police have mounted a search to arrest the perpetrator.