The Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors is demanding a public inquiry into allegations that a syndicate made up of operatives at the Presidency, National Security and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is behind the smuggling of massive amount of fuel into the country.

Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko on Tuesday launched a report that revealed how Ghana lost an estimated GHC1.4 in 2017 alone due to the smuggling and dumping of fuel in the country by the powerful syndicate.

The Chamber which put together the report alleged that the syndicate is made up of powerful political figures.

“There are times that vessels have been arrested trying to smuggle things in and when efforts have been made to arrest them you have people from the Presidency call people out there. If government wants to deal with this issue, it will deal with it. We’ve made a very clear recommendation that this needs a public inquiry, the interests in it are heavy. I think we need a public inquiry into it, we just don’t need that we also need a forensic audit at least for starters we need to deal with the ESLA 900 million we’ve not accounted for it in the last two years and that’s very significant.”

Meanwhile, Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Hassan Tampuli disclosed that he’s received complaints about the involvement of some political actors in the fuel smuggling syndicate.

“I work very closely with the Ministry of Finance officials, the Energy and the National Security, in particular I work with the Director of Operations of the National Security Ministry. So as we speak sometimes I even receive intelligence from the National Security operatives, I’m not saying that there’s no possibility of elements within the apparatus are engaged in some illegalities. The recognized and legitimate officers I’m not sure I have any basis to doubt their integrity,” Hassan Tampuli told Joy FM.