An opposition MP has explained circumstances leading to the payment of 40.5 million cedis into the Office of the Chief of Staff's account believed to be suspicious.
National Democratic Congress MP for Bongo constituency, Edward Abambire Bawa, said there is nothing irregular about the transfers from BOST into the account.
It was former Chief Executive at BOST, Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko who authorised the payments from August 2015 to January 2017.
In his letters, the transfers to the Chief of Staff account was "monies accrued from the security fees taken from Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) invoices to effect payments on the cost of petroleum products supplied by Goil".
Photo: Julius Debrah was Chief of Staff under the Mahama government.
A civil soceity group Centre for National Affairs petitioned the Special Prosecutor who investigates corruption-related activities.
Oil distributors have denied the existence of any 'security fees' on their invoices.
But in a press statement, Edward Bawa, formerly a PRO at the Energy Ministry said, the monies were used to pay for the cost of fuel supplied to the Ghana Armed Forces and also used for the presidential jet.
He said after the Armed Forces consistently failed to pay for fuel delivered by BOST, government took a decision to levy five pesewas on petroleum products sold by Goil to the security agencies.
The monies were collected by BOST and paid into the account of the Chief of Staff.
Edward Bawa pointed out, there is an agenda by government to divert attention whenever the Minority raises issues with the current management of BOST.
He said discussions about the 40.5 million cedis payments are not new and was thrown in when BOST was under pressure during the contaminated fuel saga.
The NDC MP said, BOST in the past few weeks is once again under pressure to explain the unlawful payment of Three million dollars to Springfield Energy.
Government has therefore, revived the payments into the office of the Chief of Staff account as a "pathetic" way of deflecting attention, he said.
40.5 MIILION GHANA CEDIS TRANSFER FROM BOST TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF'S SUNDRIES ACCOUNT: A SAD WAY OF DIVERTING ATTENTION
My attention has been drawn to a story published on many media platforms that seems to suggest that, under the NDC regime, some illegal money totalling 40.5 million Ghana cedis was transferred into an account named Chief of Staff's Sundries Account. This is an account located and operated by the office of the chief of Staff. The story further indicates that, a group called Centre of National Affairs (CNA) has actually petitioned the office of the special prosecutor to investigate the allegations.
Even though it is within the purview of the petitioners to exercise their constitutional rights to petition any legally mandated body, to investigate any issue they feel strongly about, is it not curious that this particular issue pops up anytime BOST is in the news for all the wrong reasons?
In June last year, when the sale of thefive million supposed*contaminated* fuel by BOST to an unlicensed company Movimpina and Zupoil was making the news, this 40.5 million Ghana cedis issue was first raised. Indeed this issue was referred to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for investigation. After inviting the various officers for their statements, no one has since heard from that office.
In the past few weeks, BOST once again, is in the news for an unlawful payment of Three million dollars to Springfield Energy, and once again, the same story pops up and this time it is the turn of the office of the special prosecutor to have a bite at the cherry.*WHAT A PATHETIC WAY OF DIVERTING ATTENTUON FROM ISSUES OF CORRUPTION.
I will attempt to provide the needed information for the education of the general public and to also cure the mischief by persons who will go at any length to prevent us from throwing sunlight into their corrupt practices in public office. But before I state the facts, let me observe that:
Now these are the facts as I know them:
Let me conclude by stating that, Ghanaians are interested in a BOST that can prosecute its mandate in ensuring and assuring fuel security for the country and any attempt to frustrate this noble assignment by persons whose only MOTIVATION is greed, will be forcefully resisted.
EDWARD ABAMBIRE BAWA
MP BONGO CONSTITUENCY.
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