NPA secures specialised court to prosecute petroleum product diversion offenders

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has secured a specialised court to handle cases involving petroleum service providers who divert petroleum products, its Chief Executive Officer, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, has disclosed.

He said the move is intended to strengthen enforcement and ensure that offenders in the petroleum downstream sector face the sanctions prescribed by law.

Edudzi Tamakloe made the disclosure when he appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday, October 15, where he outlined measures the Authority is taking to address infractions in the industry.

“One of the things that we have done is to reach out to the Chief Justice for a specialised court to deal with such recalcitrant petroleum service providers. Thankfully, the Chief Justice has designated a court for us,” he said.

The NPA boss explained that the decision followed audit findings and other concerns that required a more focused approach to dealing with industry-specific violations.

Under the law cited by the NPA CEO, persons who divert petroleum products commit an offence and, upon summary conviction, face a fine of between 2,500 and 5,000 penalty units, imprisonment for a term of between two and five years, or both.

Responding to questions about whether the Authority pursues offenders and enforces sanctions, Mr Tamakloe said it had mechanisms in place to ensure compliance and recover monies owed to it.

“In fact, there is a sanctioning mechanism. It is one of the sources of raising revenue for the running of the Authority as well, so I need that money, and I follow it religiously,” he stated.