A Tema High Court has granted bail to a staff member of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) standing trial over the alleged theft of a tugboat valued at $500,000.

Prince Edwin Brem, 47, was admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢500,000 with three sureties after filing an application through his lawyer on January 19, 2026. The court also ordered him to report to the Police every Friday, the Ghana News Agency has learned.

When the substantive case came up before the Adenta Circuit Court on Thursday, it was adjourned to April 8, 2026, for a Case Management Conference.

Brem has been charged with defrauding by false pretences and forgery of stamps. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Presenting the facts, Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo told the court that the complainant, Kofi Kuwada, a resident of Afloa in the Volta Region, is the owner of the tugboat, MV Ebenezer. The accused, who resides at Tema Community Two, allegedly approached the complainant on November 14, 2024, posing as a director of Clearsail Shipping International Management Limited.

According to the prosecution, Brem entered into a ship charter agreement for the tugboat for a three-month period, which was to expire on February 24, 2025. The vessel, however, was not returned after the contract ended.

The court heard that Brem signed the agreement and affixed what he claimed was the official stamp of the company, thereby creating the impression that he had lawful authority to act on its behalf.

All attempts by the complainant to retrieve the vessel proved unsuccessful, prompting him to lodge a formal complaint at the Tema Fishing Harbour Police Station on September 1, 2025.

Subsequent investigations led police to Boniface Acheampong, a director of Clearsail Shipping International Management Limited, who denied authorising Brem to sign the agreement. He further stated that the stamp used was neither approved nor recognised by the company.

Brem was arrested on September 5, 2025, after he reported to the Tema Police. During investigations, he admitted chartering the tugboat and promised to return it but failed to do so.

Police intelligence later revealed that the vessel had moved to Guinea-Bissau. While arrangements were underway to return it to Ghana, Brem allegedly ordered the tugboat—without the owner’s consent and contrary to police directives—to sail to The Gambia and later toward North American waters.

The prosecution told the court that investigations indicate the accused has no intention of returning the tugboat to its owner.