Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament demands investigations into controversial energy deal

The Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament has announced an impending investigation into a contentious energy deal involving Tullow Oil, Kosmos Energy, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and Petro SA.

The inquiry comes in the wake of allegations made by journalist Kevin Taylor, accusing Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of siphoning $150 million through the said contract linked to these companies.

John Jinapor, the Ranking Member of the Mines and Energy Committee, disclosed in a media interview on May 31, 2024, that the investigation aims to uncover the "actual true value of the contract."

According to him, the committee intends to commence the investigation next week.

“One, we want to ascertain the actual true value of the contract. We also want to investigate the value for money aspect. We want to investigate the technical and financial competence of INTERSOL.

“The other thing we want to know is why single-source procurement was used. We also want to investigate the technical report and all the minutes relating to the award of the contract.

“Like I said, we have seen some very disturbing information, read it, and I think that it is worth considering. Finally, why a five-year term?” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy has dismissed the claims made by Kevin Taylor.

According to the Ministry, the allegations are unfounded, adding that Taylor failed to provide details about the contract, choosing instead to spread lies to tarnish reputations.

In a statement issued on behalf of the Ministry of Energy and signed by the Press Aide to the Minister, it clarified the Ministry's role in contracting within Ghana's upstream petroleum industry.

"The Ministry of Energy is not responsible for signing and approving contracts in Ghana's upstream petroleum space. Therefore, matters involving Tullow and its Partners mentioned do not require Ministry approval. A little research could have avoided this embarrassment," the statement read.

The statement also addressed Taylor's insinuation that Dr. Prempeh personally stands to gain and fund the NPP 2024 campaign through the contract, describing the claim as unfounded.

The Ministry explained that contracting in the upstream sector undergoes a rigorous technical and commercial assessment by the Operator before recommendations are made to the Partners for their independent assessments and evaluations.

It emphasized that this process is not subject to government control.

In cases where the government seeks to increase Ghanaian participation in the upstream industry, “it does not influence the assessment and evaluation conducted by the Operator and its Partners in the upstream contracting space,” the ministry said.

The statement suggested that the Minister of Energy, Dr. Opoku Prempeh, could initiate legal proceedings if Kevin Taylor continues to impugn criminality on the sector minister.

The Ministry also urged the public to disregard the false claims and treat them with utmost contempt.

AM/BB

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