Five Filipinos Arraigned Before Court

by Florence Gbolu Feb 22, 2008 (Ghanaian Chronicle) --
Five Filipinos have been arraigned before an Accra Fast Track High Court for allegedly stealing 73,900 barrels of crude oil belonging to the Saltpond Offshore Producing Company Limited valued at Gh c6510000 ($7million).
The five are Epifacino Moran Jio, Iloefonso Pagay Pama, Engineer, and Felix Borre Climaco, The rest include Leonardo Planes Abrinica and Danilo Bagasol Bueno both captains.
All of them are sea men working for the Saltpond Offshore Producing Company Limited. However, the police are looking for Epifacino who is currently on the run.
The court presided over by Justice Ofori-Atta, has adjourned the case on the request of the Attorney General who had told the court that they were short served with a habeas corpus order filed by counsel for the accused persons.
The writ of Habeas Corpus was filed against the Attorney-General by counsel for the accused persons Mr. Musah Ahmed, to compel the Attorney General who has failed to produce four of the Filipinos accused of stealing the crude oil in court.
The four accused persons were arrested in Nigeria and brought to Ghana since February 6 this year, and are facing charges of stealing but the court has not yet taken their plea.
It is the case of prosecution that in November 2007, the chief Executive Officer of the Company Mr. Quincy Sintim Aboagye, contracted vessel MT Emerald through their agents NEPS in Nigeria, to convey 73,900 barrels of crude from the Company base at Saltpond and discharged same to Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) in Tema.
According to the facts, after the crude was loaded and set sail from Saltpond under the command of the first accused, Epifacino Moran Jio, the vessel finally sailed out of the shores of Ghana with the oil.
A report wassubsequently made to Interpol Ghana, who with the assistance of their counterpart in Nigeria arrested the accused persons in Lagos.
According to prosecution the barrel of oil were yet to be retrieved.
The Court has adjourned hearing to February 26, 2008.