Alfred Obeng Boateng
The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament has asked the government to immediately terminate the appointment of the Managing Director (MD) of Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Ltd (BOST), 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.
The NDC made the call at a press conference yesterday in parliament over the vexed issue of alleged sale of contaminated fuel to a company known as Movenpiina by BOST for re-sale to the consuming public.
Leading the press conference, the minority spokesperson on Mines and Energy, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah – who is the MP for Ellembele – also asked the government to carry out full-scale investigations into the matter as to whether it was due to negligence, lack of supervision or plot by some self-seeking individuals, who want to enrich themselves at the expense of the state.
Mr Armah Kofi Buah said the explanation offered by management of BOST that the contaminated products were sold for use by the manufacturing companies was untenable since the norm is that anytime contamination occurs, corrective treatment of these products are undertaken by the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) through blending.
He questioned why BOST failed to arrange with TOR for the treatment of this huge consignment of contaminated fuel and decided to release it onto the market.
However, DAILY GUIDE checks indicate that the product is not on the market.
According to the minority, their investigations had revealed that Movenpiina Company was the only entity that BOST dealt with in a sole-sourced transaction.
The NDC said Movenpiina put in a proposal to purchase the fuel on May 19, 2017, even though it was then not a registered and licensed company.
“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.
Mr Armah Kofi Buah also explained that the one who registered Movenpiina Company Ltd was one Nana Poku Agyemang, a generator dealer with Company Generator Power and a close associate of the BOST MD, who has been doing business with him.
“The minority has also noted with trepidation that Movenpiina Company is a bulk oil transporter at BOST carrying huge petroleum products across the country when they are not registered.”
He said they gathered that the contaminated fuel were originally meant for industrial usage by the steel, garment, petrol-chemical companies to run their heavy machinery and not meant for the running of vehicle engines.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr