Executive Director of the African Centre for Energy Policy, Benjamin Boakye, has questioned the propriety of the Energy Ministry to issue to the public preliminary findings conducted by the Bureau of Naitonal Investigation, BNI, into the controversial BOST contaminated fuel saga.
Boakye Agyarko, the sector minister, issued a statement ostensibly coming from the security outfit clearing the MD of BOST Alfred Obeng Boateng, of any wrongdoing in the sale of 5 million litres of contaminated fuel.
Among other things, the investigation says the following:
1.The product contamination occurred on January 18, 2017 and the MD for BOST assumed office on January 23, 2017 and cannot be held responsible for it.
2. As a competent MD, he interdicted the officers involved and set up a six-member committee chaired by the Head of Internal Audit Department, Mr. Edmund Aquah on February 8, 2017 to find out the causes of the contamination.
3. The MD has received a draft copy of the committee’s report waiting for the final report on July 7, 2017.
4. A laboratory test from TOR and technical recommendation made by the General Manager, Terminal, Fred Ayarkwa indicated that out of the options available, selling the product for industrial purposes such as asphalt processing, texture and cement manufacturing was the best. This option was recommended to the MD because TOR is not refining currently and the laboratory result clearly stated that treating it would not give the required quality of AGO (Diesel).
5. Among the fifteen companies that expressed interest, Movenpiina price was the highest. Its initial price was GHS 0.90 per liter as the highest followed by Nation Links Oil which quoted GHS 0.80 per liter. Despite these quotations, BOST pushed Movenpiina to pay GHS1.30 per liter which is the highest BOST has ever sold contamination products. The highest that was sold under the previous administration headed by Kwame Awuah Darko was GHS 1.00 per liter.
The findings mean the ministry’s own 8 member committee to investigate the matter will be dissolved, a decision which has angered most groups including ACEP, who have a representation on the board. Speaking on Accra’s based JoyFm, Mr. Boakye, the representative, said he finds the decision on the ministry to release the BNI report strange, especially when it has ordered its own investigations into the controversy.
Speaking on Accra’s based JoyFm, Mr. Boakye, the representative, said he finds the decision on the ministry to release the BNI report strange, especially when it has ordered its own investigations into the controversy.
“Is not for the ministry to communicate the findings of BNI, the should would have allowed the process they have started to stay and stand,†he said. He wondered what will be lost if the ministry had taken its time and issued its own findings.