The Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, is ready to go all out and come to the conclusion of the contaminated oil saga which has saddled the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST).
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Atebubu Amantin in the Brong Ahafo Region, Kofi Amoakohene speaking on Adom FM’s Morning Show, ‘Dwaso Nsem’ Thursday called on Ghanaians to be rest assured that the Energy Minister as strict as he is would not shield anyone from blame.
“I am very confident that Boakye Agyarko knowing him to be strict and someone who believes in the President’s dream of a corruption free and transparent governance won’t shield anyone and won’t deny the public any information from the committee’s findings…,” he said.
The Ministry of Energy announced that it is setting up an 8-member investigative Committee to look into the issues regarding the release of 5 million litres of off-spec fuel from the Accra Plains Depot of the BOST.
The Committee which will be made up of representatives of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors and the Bureau of National Investigations among others will be tasked to “determine the circumstances that created the off-spec product, review the procedures undertaken by BOST to evacuate the product and the transaction, ascertain the quality and remaining quantity of the product and determine if the product can be corrected.
The issue of the sale of the 5 million litres of the off spec oil to Movinpiina has become a topic of national discourse with the Minority in Parliament calling for the interdiction of the BOST Managing Director (MD), Alfred Obeng Boateng.
According to the members, the MD had allegedly colluded, connived and supervised the sale of five million litres of contaminated fuel to a private company, adding that he has some interest in the deal.
The Minority said that through the sale of the contaminated fuel, the nation lost $14.25 million and that all those involved must be made to refund the money back to the state in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling on state funds that are wasted or stolen by public office holders.
According to the Minority, their investigations had revealed that Movenpiina Company was the only entity that BOST dealt with in a sole-sourced transaction.
“Our checks from the Registrar-General’s Department show that the company was incorporated to trade and transport fuel on May 29, 2017 but put in a bid to buy the fuel on May 19, 2017,” the minority said, stressing that there is some sort of collusion in the transaction.
But Mr Amoakohene allayed the fears of the Minority MPs as according to him, Boakye Agyarko can be trusted to conduct a clean investigation into the saga.
To him, the BOST MD has so far shown leadership as the amount he sold the off spec oil to Movinpiina has been the highest in the history of the sale of off spec fuel.
“Information shows that none of the off spec oil during Mahama’s regime was sold for more than 80 pesewas and if this leadership has sold it for 1.30 pesewas, they deserve commendation but the investigations must go on…,” he said further.
