The Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has designated the Achimota Court to handle cases involving the diversion of petroleum products, in a move aimed at strengthening the prosecution of offenders in Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.

Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, disclosed this when he appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.

He said the Authority had engaged the Chief Justice to establish a specialised court to deal with offences involving petroleum service providers and facilitate the prosecution of those found culpable.

Mr Tamakloe cited the relevant regulations under the National Petroleum Authority Act, Legislative Instrument 2251 (L.I. 2251), which prescribe penalties for the diversion of petroleum products.

Under the regulations, anyone convicted of the offence faces a fine ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 penalty units, a prison term of between two and five years, or both.

He said the designation of the Achimota Court would provide a dedicated venue for handling such cases and support the enforcement of the regulations.