Citi News has laid hands on a document naming at least Thirty Eight (38) companies without a National Petroleum Authority (NPA), license, yet the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST), sold Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Ninety Thousand (20, 590,000) litres of contaminated fuel to them in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
This means the illegality happened under the leadership of the former BOST Managing Director, Kwame Awuah-Darko, who according to some staff of BOST, is seeking to have his rot covered up by the raging brouhaha over contaminated fuel sale under the new MD.
The revelation comes at a time when the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has taken issues with BOST for selling 5 million litres of contaminated fuel to two unlicensed companies, Movepiina and Zup Oil, which were allegedly set up few days before the sale.
The NPA has among others stated that it will fine the two companies and also take legal action against them, whiles the claims over the improper sale of the fuel is being investigated by the NPA and a committee set up by government through the Energy Ministry.
The document sited by Citi News, shows that in 2015 alone, between March, April, May, July and August, thirteen firms received different quantities of contaminated fuel from BOST.
In all, 8, 190, 000 litres was sold out, although the profit made is not known.
In 2016 however, the companies that received the fuel were 25 in number, with the quantity of fuel sold standing at 12, 400,000 litres.
Below is the full list of the companies for 2015 and 2016
List of 2015 Companies that BOST sold contaminated fuel to ( Between March, April, May, July, August)
1. Hamhusen Ventures
2. Group Limited
3. Pertrocan Engineering Co. Limited
4. Abinachie Co. Limited
5. Rocomens Ltd.
6. Damtrak Ltd.
7. Translodges Ltd.
8. Trikay Ltd
9. BOST Local Union
10. Doramart Enterprise
11. Kowatt Ltd.
12. Hamdan Investment
13. Mal-Tee Investurement Ltd.
List of 2016 Companies that BOST sold contaminated fuel to (Between January, February, March, August, October, November)
1. BOST Local Union
1. Transpetrol Co. Ltd
3. Seidu Issak
4. HLB
5. Kark-Link Co. Ltd.
6. Seven B’S Ltd.
7. Gifrat Ltd.
8. JFN Ventures
9. Akolan Ventures
10. LLEAD Ltd.
11. Rahseed Business Ltd.
12. Fresh Custourcing Ltd.
13. Shokram Co. Ltd.
14. Global Wants Provider Ltd.
15. Bridgewalker Co. Ltd.
16. Astech Eng. Co. Ltd.
17. Dan Yaro Isa GH. Ltd.
18. Yamlis GH Ltd.
19. Seidu Issak
20. Ousmaninusah Ventures
21. VEF Marketing Ltd.
22. F.P Petroleum Ltd.
23. Pharmtrust Petroleum Ltd.
24. Analyst Limited
25. E-Centrix Trading Ltd.
Background
The story about the alleged sale was first reported by Citi News which sighted documents to that effect.
The African Center for Energy Policy (ACEP), later alleged that the two companies were unlicensed, and registered ten days before the deal. It thus called for the BOST MD to step aside to allow a probe into the matter.
The Minority in Parliament at a news conference, also joined calls for the MD to step aside, stating that the deal was fraught with rot and has caused financial loss to the state.
Gov’t’s investigative committee
Despite the NPA’s initial reports confirming the firms were not licensed, the MD is still at post, whereas an eight-member committee has also been set up by government to probe the sale.
Among other things, it is mandated to determine the circumstances that led to the contamination of the fuel and review the transaction.
The committee will also review the procedures undertaken by BOST to evacuate the product and ascertain the quality and remaining quantity of the product.
The committee will be made up of representatives of; the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), the Tema oil Refinery (TOR), the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Bureau of National Investigations, Chamber of Bulk oil Distributors, Association of Oil Marketing Companies, Energy Commission and a representative from the relevant Civil Society Organizations.