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Former Attorney General Martin Amidu took office as Special Prosecutor on February 23, 2018.
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IMANI Africa Vice President Kofi Bentil is disappointed that the Special Prosecutor's Office has not yet responded to a petition concerning the scandal involving the bulk oil storage and transportation company ( BOST) and two other private companies.
Kofi Bentil says the slowness with which the special prosecutor handles the inquiry request on the sale of 1.8 million unspecified fuels to Movenpina and Zup Oil is worrying.
"This is one of the things that disappoints the special prosecutor. That's why we all fought for their establishment …, "said Saturday May 4th the private jurist at JoyNews Weekly Analysis Program, Newsfile.
Kofi Bentil
Petition COPEC
The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), led by its chief executive, Duncan Amoah, petitioned the office headed by Martin Amidu in early 2018, as part of what he claims to be a case of loss. for the state of BOST.
According to Duncan Amoah, Ghana lost more than 30 million euros in turnover when BOST decided to sell 1.8 million barrels of crude oil to BB Energy, an unregistered company. The losses, he insisted, were recorded at all stages of the value chain, from the sale of crude to the costs of holding the rest of the crude.
Read also: BOST accused of causing financial loss when selling 1.8 million barrels of crude
Duncan Amoah
The transaction, completed in September 2017, followed a major scandal involving the sale of some 5 million liters of contaminated fuel to 38 unlicensed companies. Duncan Amoah told Joy News that he did not understand why 1.8 million barrels of oil had been sold while the initial volume purchased had risen to 2 million barrels.
Following the departure of Alfred Obeng Boateng as BOST's CEO, his replacement, George Okley set up a committee that investigated the saga of contaminated fuels. The committee in its report described the involvement of former BOST management in this incident as criminal.
However, the only action taken by the Special Prosecutor's Office, headed by former Attorney General Martin Amidu, who was sworn in on February 23, 2018, was a letter to the petitioner acknowledging the petition.
The special prosecutor also promised to act on the content of the petition. And this action, Bentil notes, took too long to be seen. He concedes that the oil sector is complex but that "it should not be too difficult to determine" so we can move on.
"It's not difficult for an investigation, even in a year, to determine all the facts … to reach a certain conclusion," he noted.
Read also: PIAC calls for a special intervention of the prosecutor in the last saga of BOST
SP failed us – Oduro Osae
Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, Governance Expert, said while acknowledging that some attempts had been made to prevent the recurrence of the situation at BOST, the "Special Prosecutor's Office failed us".
Dr. Eric Oduro Osae
Dr. Osae, who is also the Dean of Studies and Research at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), wants the PS office to inform Ghanaians if they are having difficulty with their work.
"If the special prosecutor has trouble prosecuting, he should come and tell us," he said.
He also wants the SP to publish status reports on its activities "so that we can address them on certain points".
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