Goverment to probe BOST saga

The Ministry of Energy will, in the coming days, set up a committee to investigate reports indicating that the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) has released onto the market several litres of contaminated fuel, King Addai-Wellington, Communications Officer at the Ministry of Energy, has said.

BOST has been accused of releasing onto the Ghanaian market contaminated fuel, a development which many fear will damage engines of vehicles and other equipment that operate on fuel.

Accordingly, the Minority in Parliament is demanding the “immediate interdiction” of the Managing Director of BOST, Alfred Obeng Boateng, over a “bizarre” and “dubious” contract awarded to Movenpiina Company Limited to distribute the five million litres of contaminated oil onto the market.

At a press conference, the Minority called for a full-scale investigation by the regulatory authorities into the “corrupt” deal.

The Minority also demanded the “immediate withdrawal of the contaminated product from the market to protect consumers and assurances that this will not recur.”

The Minority also said the financial loss estimated at GHS14.25 million must be retrieved by “surcharging the offending officials at BOST in line with the recent Supreme Court decision”.

Reacting to this development in an interview with Class91.3FM’s Valentina Ofori-Afriyie on the 505 programme on Tuesday June 27, Mr Addai-Wellington said: “The Ministry’s attention has been drawn to the issue and the Ministry, currently, is constituting an investigative body to look into the issue and present its findings to the ministry.

“The ministry is going to investigate the matter and the findings will be put out.”

He added: “As the investigator, it won’t be appropriate for me to comment on the issue that is being investigated so I will urge all to allow the Ministry’s investigative body to do its work and when they are done we will put the update out there for all.”