The Minority in parliament has indicted the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), accusing the state security apparatus of being complicit following its exoneration of the Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Limited (BOST), Alfred Obeng Boateng, in the recent contaminated fuel saga.

The BNI after investigations cleared Mr Boateng of any wrongdoing in the sale of five million litres of contaminated fuel. BOST had sold the contaminated fuel to Movenpiina Company Limited.

“We are being told that the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), otherwise known as the BNI, is acting in a manner that we don’t only smell but we can sense a cover-up in respect of the matter of the selling of the contaminated oil by BOST which matter borders on fraud, corruption and abuse of office,” Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said at a press conference on Tuesday, July 4.

He said the request by the BNI for dissolution of an investigative committee set up by the Ministry of Energy following their report amounts to only “a gargantuan cover-up”.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South said the action of the BNI “is sowing seeds of corruption in the country” and “preventing sunshine on matters that are of public interest”.

He emphasised that the mere selling of contaminated oil matter to motorists and to the extent that the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) was not aware and Movenpiina Company Limited was unlicensed at the time also raise major issues.

For him, the BNI must make public what they investigated “and not just a mere statement that the minister should dissolve his committee”.

They have, therefore, urged the ministerial committee to proceed with a full investigation of the matter and report publicly.

Parts of the BNI report stated:

1. The product contamination occurred on January 18, 2017 and the MD for BOST assumed office on January 23, 2017 and cannot be held responsible for it.

2. As a competent MD, he interdicted the officers involved and set up a six-member committee chaired by the Head of Internal Audit Department, Mr. Edmund Aquah on February 8, 2017 to find out the causes of the contamination.

3. The MD has received a draft copy of the committee’s report waiting for the final report on July 7, 2017.

4. A laboratory test from TOR and technical recommendation made by the General Manager, Terminal, Fred Ayarkwa indicated that out of the options available, selling the product for industrial purposes such as asphalt processing, texture and cement manufacturing was the best. This option was recommended to the MD because TOR is not refining currently and the laboratory result clearly stated that treating it would not give the required quality of AGO (Diesel).

5. Among the fifteen companies that expressed interest, Movenpiina price was the highest. Its initial price was GHS 0.90 per litre as the highest followed by Nation Links Oil which quoted GHS 0.80 per litre. Despite these quotations, BOST pushed Movenpiina to pay GHS1.30 per liter which is the highest BOST has ever sold contamination products. The highest that was sold under the previous administration headed by Kwame Awuah Darko was GHS1.00 per litre.