VRA Accounts Clerk Nabbed

An accounts clerk of the Volta River Authority (VRA) in charge of the Northern Sector, at Sunyani, has been arrested by the police over embezzlement of ?25 million, belonging to the company.

The suspect, Stephen Gbande, 31, has been placed in custody pending further investigations.

Inspector Christopher Tawia, the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Public Relations Officer, disclosed that Gbande was arrested following a complaint lodged by the police by the branch manager of the Barclays Bank, Mr. S. Mills.

The police PRO hinted that the suspect is responsible for depositing cash lodgements at the bank on behalf of his employers.

On June 6, this year, according to Tawia, Gbande went to deposit cash totaling ?9,910,075 at the bank and returned with pay-in-slip, indicating that he had lodged the money at the bank in the VRA account.

He continued that the suspect on the following day went to lodge cash of ?50,000 and again produced documents proving that the cash had been deposited in the VRA accounts.

On June 14, this year, however, the suspect who was instructed to deposit ?15,068,400 at the bank, failed to do so, but managed to produce some fictitious slips, indicating that the amount had been deposited, the police officer said.

The finance officer of VRA, Mrs. Luci Tabi Nyarko, detected that the amount indicated on a statement of account from the bankers (Barclays) was not up to date and so, she informed the area manager of VRA, Mr. Alex Papanko, at Sunyani about the differences.

A thorough cross check to reconcile the statements of VRA and the bank could not tally, revealing that the suspect had not deposited the money in the VRA account.

The PRO, again, said that Gbande had engaged someone in the bank to produce fake pay-in-slips to cover his scandalous deal.

The police is still conducting investigations to get Gbande's accomplice at the bank to book.