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The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has been granted prosecutorial powers by the Attorney General (AG) to prosecute crimes in Ghana’s oil supply chain. This is in accordance with Executive Instrument (EI) 378, which was obtained by the NPA in 2020.
The NPA’s Legal Manager, Ms. Farida Ali-Musah who made this known, explained that the Authority had previously relied on the AG and the police to prosecute cases. However, some of these cases were thrown out of court due to lack of prosecution.
Ms. Ali-Musah also noted that the petroleum industry had undergone significant changes since the NPA was established in 2005. As a result, it is essential for the Authority to have prosecutorial powers in order to effectively carry out its regulatory mandate.
The crimes that the NPA will prosecute include operating without an NPA-certified license, misapplying the prescribed petroleum pricing formula, tampering with Bulk Road Vehicle (BRV) tracking and volume monitoring, making false statements or withholding material information, obstructing or interfering with investigations, and selling unmarked fuel.
Some of these crimes carry sentences of up to 10 years. The NPA has begun stakeholder consultations in preparation for the start of the prosecution process.
