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A Tema High Court has granted bail in the sum of GH¢500,000 to a staff member of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Prince Edwin Brem, who is standing trial over the alleged theft of a tugboat valued at $500,000.
The 47-year-old accused was admitted to bail with three sureties after his lawyer filed an application on January 19, 2026. As part of the bail conditions, the court ordered Brem to report to the police every Friday.
Meanwhile, proceedings in the substantive case before an Adenta Circuit Court have been adjourned to April 8, 2026, for a Case Management Conference. Brem has pleaded not guilty to charges of defrauding by false pretences and forgery of stamps.
According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, the complainant, Kofi Kuwada, is the owner of the tugboat, MV Ebenezer. On November 14, 2024, Brem allegedly presented himself as a director of Clearsail Shipping International Management Limited and entered into a three-month charter agreement for the vessel, which expired on February 24, 2025.
The prosecution said Brem failed to return the tugboat after the contract period and had allegedly used an unauthorised company stamp to sign the agreement, falsely creating the impression that he had the authority to act on behalf of Clearsail Shipping.
Investigations later revealed that the company had not authorised Brem to sign the agreement and that the stamp used was not recognised. Brem was arrested on September 5, 2025, and although he reportedly admitted chartering the vessel and promised to return it, the tugboat was later traced to Guinea-Bissau.
Police further disclosed that while arrangements were being made to return the vessel to Ghana, Brem allegedly ordered it to sail to The Gambia and later to North American waters without the owner’s consent and against police directives.
The prosecution told the court that the accused showed no intention of returning the tugboat to its rightful owner.
