Two granted GH¢250,000 bail over illegal sale of premix fuel in KEEA
Two persons who allegedly sold premix fuel within Komenda -Edina -Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) during the closed season, have been granted bail with sum of GH¢250,000 with two sureties by a Circuit Court in Cape Coast.
One of the sureties should be a government worker earning not less than
GH¢3,000,00 and other landed property worth not less than GH¢250.000.
The suspects Reuben Jefferson Darkey Ocansey, 49, fishermen and Yaw Adjei, 52, driver, pleaded not guilty and would make their next appearance in court on Thursday, August 25 this year.
The court presided over by Mrs Dorinda Smith Arthur told the suspects to report to the Tema Fishing Harbour Police Station every two weeks till the end of the case.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Theresa Agbavor told the court that the complainant, Mr. Solomon Ebo Appiah, is the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of KEEA and the suspects resided respectively at Tema in Greater Accra and Kade in the Eastern Region.
She said on Saturday, July 30, at about 2200 hours, an informant called Mr Joojo Adams, an Assembly Member at Komenda on phone and reported that the suspects with a cargo vehicle with registration number GS 9214-20 loaded with premix fuel in barrels and containers were selling to a group of fisher folks at a cost of GH¢24,000 per drum.
The Assembly Member in turn informed the MCE who called for Police investigation.
Chief Inspector Agbavor said the Police, after the report, proceeded to the scene and intercepted the premix fuel in the cargo truck and arrested Ocansey.
Ocansey told the Police that Adjei was the owner of the premix fuel, and he was later arrested.
Some of the fuel was filled in drums were seen packed in unknown tricycles.
The prosecutor said the suspects, during investigations, admitted the offence in their caution statements.
Additionally, Adjei told the Police that he got the fuel from one “Belebele” and other individuals at Tema to be given to some fishermen at Abandze in the Mfantseman Municipality but decided to give out the fuel to one Kakra at Komenda.
Adjei said he had no documents backing the fuel and after investigation, the suspects were arraigned before the court.
Mr Ebo Appiah, the MCE in an interview, cautioned perpetrators hiding within KEEA and indulging in such acts to stop the practice.
He warned them to desist or face the law in coming days as the Assembly was working with the Police to arrest perpetrators.
The MCE urged the fisher folks to collaborate with the Assembly to drive away bad persons robbing innocent fishermen for their selfish gains in the country.
Source: GNA