Add CSOs to BOST probe - COPEC-GH

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers, Ghana (COPEC-GH), Duncan Amoah, has welcomed government’s decision to investigate reports that the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) has released onto the market contaminated fuel.

BOST has been accused of selling five million litres of contaminated fuel to a private firm for distribution to the pumps, a development which many fear will damage engines of vehicles and other equipment that operate on fuel.

Accordingly, the Minority in Parliament has demanded the “immediate interdiction” of the Managing Director of BOST, Alfred Obeng Boateng, over the “bizarre” and “dubious” contract awarded to Movenpiina Company Limited to distribute the contaminated oil.

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 estimated loss of GHS14.25million from the contaminated fuels 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 on Class91.3FM with Valentina Ofori-Afriyie on 505 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.”

Also speaking on the same programme, Mr Amoah said it was welcoming news that the government would be looking into the matter.

He said: “This sounds very good. The only thing we would plead is that civil society should be included in these investigations so that whatever findings that will come out will not in any way be compromised or be shielded.

“We would want to get to the bottom of all of these and be able to appraise ourselves collectively and individually as a people as to whether indeed there is any reason for us to fear buying the products on the open market.”