VANEF STC hit by theft, embezzlement

VANEF STC, one of the state-owned corporations whose divestiture is still subject to media investigations, is currently plagued with cases of theft and embezzlement at its sub-stations.

Fuel, spare parts, lubricants and money are diverted and stolen on a daily basis thus compelling management to organise a media encounter last Friday where they made known their frustrations.

Currently, 10 staffs of the company including two students on attachment are on interdiction for allegedly embezzling fund and stealing company property. This year alone, an amount of ?30.4 million has been detected stolen at the Sunyani and Cape Coast stations of the troubled company whose services keep improving on paper but customers continually complain of below the average services.

Forty-four year old Loveson Kwasi Ahene, who was the terminal supervisor at the Sunyani station, is assisting the Kumasi police in their investigations into allegations of embezzlement involving ?14.9 million. According to Sampson Gyamera, Traffic and Operations Manager of VANEF, the suspect has since refunded the amount in full, even though he will soon be arraigned before court.

The theft, according Gyamera, was detected after an audit of the accounts of the Sunyani station in May this year. He added that the amount stolen was systematically siphoned from ticket sales, baggage tag sales and parcel revenue.