NPA secures court to prosecute fuel siphoning offenders

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has moved to strengthen prosecution of people who siphon fuel from tanker accident scenes, with its Chief Executive Officer, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, disclosing that the Chief Justice has designated a court to handle petroleum-related offences.

Mr Tamakloe made the disclosure when he appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday, October 15, 2026, where committee chairperson Abena Osei-Asare questioned him about the persistent practice of people rushing to fuel tanker accident scenes to collect spilled petroleum products.

Responding to the concerns, the NPA chief said fuel siphoning and the diversion of petroleum products were criminal offences and that the authority was taking steps to ensure offenders faced the law.

He said he had personally led a team to meet the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, to request a specialised court to handle offences within the downstream petroleum sector.

“Thankfully, the Chief Justice has designated the Achimota court for us,” Mr Tamakloe told the committee, referring to the court arrangement intended to deal with petroleum-related cases. The supplied material identifies the designated court as the Achimota Court.

The NPA CEO said the move was intended to address industry-specific offences more effectively and strengthen enforcement against individuals and petroleum service providers who flout the law.

The discussion also touched on the dangers posed by people who gather at tanker accident scenes to siphon fuel. Such incidents can expose those involved and others nearby to fires and explosions, particularly where spilled fuel comes into contact with ignition sources.

Although the committee’s questions focused partly on what happens when people siphon fuel at accident scenes, Mr Tamakloe also explained how the NPA monitors petroleum tankers to identify and address fuel diversion during transportation.

He said the authority had introduced technology to improve tracking, reducing its earlier reliance on officers from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

Under the system, bulk road vehicles transporting petroleum products are monitored from departure to their designated destinations. Tanker hatches and discharge valves are sealed, while attempts to tamper with the seals or tracking devices can trigger alerts at the NPA’s command centre.

Mr Tamakloe cited Legislative Instrument (LI) 2251, which he said provides that a person who diverts petroleum products commits an offence and, upon summary conviction, faces a fine of between 2,500 and 5,000 penalty units, imprisonment for between two and five years, or both.

He assured the committee that the authority was pursuing offenders and had sanctions in place.

“There is a sanctioning mechanism because it’s 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 said.

The planned prosecution drive comes amid concerns about the practice of siphoning fuel at tanker crash scenes and the need to enforce laws governing the handling and transportation of petroleum products.

EA