4 held for missing GOIL Coupons (Unpublished Article)

William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday November 21, 2007
The case in which four persons have been charged for allegedly stealing fuel coupons belonging to the Ghana Oil Company (Goil) to enrich themselves of about ¢4.5 billion has taken a new twist at the Accra Circuit Court where they are being tried.

When the case was called, the prosecution led by Mrs. Evelyn Keelson, a Principal State Attorney told the court that police investigations revealed that the amount involved had increased to ¢9.1billion and added ‘we are still investigating.’

Under the circumstance, the court presided over by Mrs. Elizabeth Edusei, which had adjourned proceedings yesterday in order to rule on the application for bail did not do but rather asked both defence and the prosecution to come back to the court today for the bail application to be renewed.

But when they appeared before the court the judge declined the grant of bailuntil December 5, to enable the police to continue investigating the matter.

Those remanded in police custody in connection with the missing coupons are Emmanuel Amegashie, a production technician at Camelot Ghana Limited, the company which prints Goil coupons, Lawrence Avorgbedor, former employee of Camelot, Joshua Kwamina Asamoah a taxi driver and Samuel Kofi Addo, an employee of Goil.

A fuel coupon is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount on fuel products.

They pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and stealing on their first appearance on November 8.

The prosecution’s case was that last September, Amegashie entered the hologram vault and was caught by security cameras installed at the place.

Amegashie, the prosecution said, was seen on the camera carrying away a box containing some items from the room.

Officials of the company upon a check later realised that 30,000 leaflets of GH¢20 and GH¢15 denominations of Goil coupons, all valued at ¢4.5 billion, were missing.

The prosecution said Amegashie gave the coupons to Avorgbedor who printed serial numbers on them and handed them over to Asamoah.

The prosecution said Addo, who resigned last month as a pump attendant, was brought into the deal by Avorgbedor to sell the coupons.

On October 30, Addo went on his usual rounds to sell more coupons but was arrested at Dansoman, in Accra.

The prosecution said upon his arrest, Addo led the police to pick up Asamoah who in turn also led the police to arrest Avorgbedor.

Avorgbedor consequently admitted the offence and led the police to pick Amegashie.