Accra: A key witness in the Atimpoku fuel contamination case has testified in an Accra High Court that he does not possess evidence of any investigative report on the incident.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. John Delase-Michael, the Station Manager of the Atimpoku branch of Vivo Energy Ghana Limited, formerly known as Shell Filling Station, said he was not informed about the results of investigations conducted after the fuel contamination incident. During cross-examination, he mentioned, "After investigations were conducted, I was not informed of the outcome. However, I believe the report would have been issued to the authority that invited the state institutions to carry out the investigations."
Mr. Delase-Michael also informed the court that he had not presented any Assessment Impact Report from national institutions as evidence, stating, "I have not brought any report before this court."
The case, initiated by Mr. Edmund Barwuah, a businessman, is against Vivo Energy over alleged fuel contamination at its Atimpoku service station near the Adomi Bridge in the Eastern Region. The plaintiff claims that the company sold petrol mixed with water to him and other unsuspecting customers. The suit suggests that Vivo Energy failed in its duty of care to ensure the fuel sold met the required standards, alleging a breach of duty for financial gain.
Mr. Barwuah further alleged that he was among several customers who purchased contaminated fuel on August 28, 2022, leading to the station's closure by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA). Vivo Energy, in its defence, attributed the contamination to heavy rainfall causing water to leak into the underground fuel storage tank and issued an apology.
The witness explained that Vivo Energy's head office invited the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the Ghana National Fire Service, and the NPA to investigate the incident. However, he clarified that he did not have the authority to invite these institutions himself.
Mr. Delase-Michael stated that no discussions had been held with him regarding any assessment report on the incident, and he was unaware of any official guidelines to follow during rainfall at the filling station. He acknowledged the 2015 disaster at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, which involved flooding and a fuel explosion but disagreed with suggestions that Vivo Energy had taken its customers for granted.