An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GH¢10,000 bail with two sureties to a 37-year-old application marker officer accused of stealing three bottles of fuel markers valued at GH¢6,610.00 from his employer.

The accused, Akologo Reagan Atia, who has also been charged with unlawful possession of fuel markers in breach of National Petroleum Authority regulations, pleaded not guilty to both charges.

The Court directed that the sureties be justified and reside within the court’s jurisdiction, and ordered Akologo to deposit his Ghana Card with the Registry.

He is to reappear on January 20, 2025.

His alleged accomplice, Pascaline Affor, also known as Bernard, is currently on the run.

Detective Chief Inspector Abel Amannie said the complainant, Mr Frank Kwame Osei, CEO of Nationwide Technologies Limited (NTL), reported that a worker at the company’s Buipe BOST depot was offering stolen fuel markers for sale to tanker owners in Tema.

Police surveillance led to Akologo’s arrest, and two bottles of fuel markers were recovered.

During investigations, he allegedly admitted accumulating three bottles and planning to sell each at GHC20,000 without the company’s consent, prosecution said.

Further enquiries revealed that NTL had been contracted by the National Petroleum Authority to provide fuel marking services across the retail fuel chain.

Police said Akologo had earlier sent one bottle of the markers to Affor, who attempted to sell it to a witness, Charles Kwame Ellis, who feigned interest and cooperated with investigators.

Affor allegedly told Ellis to pay Akologo, who was travelling from Buipe with two additional bottles.

Akologo was arrested on November 28, around 1530 hours, with the two bottles in his possession, bringing the total to three.