ASABA: A fraud of over N3million is said be to currently rocking the Delta state owned transport services “Delta Line”.
It was Urhobotoday gathered that the fraud which was brought to the notice of the commissioner in charge of the state transport sector, Hon. Ben Igbakpa was unraveled last week following vigorous checks carried out.
Inside sources who confided in our reporter, said at the loading bale opposite Grand Hotels, Asaba, the sum of N1.7million got missing as the woman in charge could not give an account of how the money got missing, while at the Agbor out station, the sum of over N700, 000 could not be accounted for by the officer in charge.
It was learnt that the story is the same at other stations across the state where whopping sums of money could not be accounted for by officers running the stations.
Investigation by our reporter shows that as soon as the fraud was discovered at the station opposite Grand Hotel, a senior staff of the company alleged threatened and warned against the arrest of the officer in charge and it took the police several days before she was arrested.
When contacted for comments, the state commissioner for transport, Hon. Ben Igbakpa confirmed the story saying the officer in charge of the station opposite the Grand Hotel, Asaba has since been charged to court, while others in charge of stations where some fraud were discovered are currently on the run.
“Yes the story is true and as I talk to you the woman in charge of the Delta line office opposite the Grand Hotel, Asaba has been arrested and charged to court.
Actually some persons were of the view that she should not be arrested with flimsy excuses but I said no. Not only in the Asaba station, the fraud also affected other stations across the state and some culprits are even on the run as we talk.”
According to Igbakpa, everyone linked to the fraud shall be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others. “However, I must let you know that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has tried his best in this sector. We must commend him for his giant strides in the transport sector which remain unbeatable and Deltans will forever remain grateful to the governor.”