It’s blackmail: Agyarko condemns allegations against BOST

Energy Minister, Emmanuel Boakye Agyarko, on Thursday, said the allegations against Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) amounts to blackmail.
He states: “I cannot sit down for such things to continue. We will not sit down under blackmail”.
Mr Agyarko hinted that the truth about the whole relentless attack on BOST would soon be told and Ghanaians would know who is deceiving the general public and expressed indignation against “consistent attacks” by the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) on Alfred Obeng Boateng, BOST Managing Director.
The Energy Minister noted that it was troubling that COPEC had been attacking the MD of BOST even when it lacked understanding about the issues it was accusing the MD of.
Interacting with the media in Accra, the Energy Minister, however, welcomed COPEC’s, decision to petition the Special Prosecutor to investigate crude oil transaction between BOST and oil firm, BB Energy.
The Energy Minister noted that “the fact that you have gone to petition the Special Prosecutor does not mean that you are right. Because, if that is the case, everybody who goes to the court first will win his or her case”.
Mr Duncan Amoah, Executive Secretary of COPEC-Ghana has accused the management of BOST for allegedly causing financial loss to the state in the sale of some barrels of crude oil.
He claimed Ghana lost an estimated GHS30million in revenue when 1.8 million barrels of crude oil was sold to an “unlicensed company” BB Energy.
He alleged that the oil was sold to the private company at a discount of two dollars a barrel when prices on the international market were on the rise.
Mr Albert Mantey, Head of Fuel Trade at BOST had refuted the allegations by Mr Amoah, insisting that the company did nothing wrong in the sale of the fuel in question.
He claimed that Mr Amoah was being pushed to peddle lies and falsehood about BOST in a bid to damage the reputation of the company.
Not satisfied with the response from BOST, COPEC petitioned the Special Prosecutor to investigate the issue and prosecute the wrongdoers.