An Accra Circuit Court has granted GHC10,000 bail with two sureties to Akologo Reagan Atia, a 37-year-old application marker officer, accused of stealing fuel markers worth GH₵6,610.00 from his employer.

Akologo, who faces charges of stealing and unlawful possession of fuel markers in violation of National Petroleum Authority (NPA) regulations, pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the court.

The Court ordered that the sureties be justified and reside within the court’s jurisdiction. Additionally, Akologo is required to deposit his Ghana Card with the court registry.

He is scheduled to reappear before the court on January 20, 2025. His alleged accomplice, Pascaline Affor, also known as Bernard, remains at large.

Detective Chief Inspector Abel Amannie told the court that the complainant, Mr Frank Kwame Osei, CEO of Nationwide Technologies Limited (NTL), reported that a worker at the company’s Buipe BOST depot was attempting to sell stolen fuel markers to tanker owners in Tema.

Police surveillance led to Akologo’s arrest on November 28, at approximately 1530 hours, with two bottles of the fuel markers recovered from him. Investigations revealed he had accumulated a total of three bottles.

According to the prosecution, Akologo admitted to planning to sell each bottle for GH₵20,000 without the company’s authorization. NTL, the prosecution explained, has a contract with the NPA to provide fuel marking services throughout the retail fuel supply chain.

Police investigations further revealed that Akologo had previously sent one bottle of the markers to Affor, who attempted to sell it to a witness, Charles Kwame Ellis. Mr. Ellis feigned interest and subsequently cooperated with investigators.

Affor allegedly directed Ellis to pay Akologo, who was en route from Buipe with the remaining two bottles. The arrest of Akologo with the two bottles brought the total number of recovered markers to three.

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