Four held for stealing 4billion fuel coupons

William Yaw Owusu

Saturday November 9, 2007
A circuit Court in Accra yesterday remanded into police custody, four people who allegedly stole fuel coupons belonging to the Ghana Oil Company (Goil) to enrich themselves of about ¢4.5 billion.

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

They 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.

They pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to steal and stealing and were remanded by the court presided over by Mrs. Elizabeth Edusei, until November 20.

Mrs. Evelyn Keelson, a Principal State Attorney told the court that the police needed time to do thorough investigation and the judge granted them their request but asked them to act expeditiously.

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 Avogbedor.

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