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A nine-member investigative committee has been set up by government to look into the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company’s controversial sale of 5 million litres of contaminated fuel.

The committee, inaugurated by the Energy Minister, Mr. Boakye Agyarko, yesterday Thursday is to determine the circumstances which led to the creation of off-spec products.

The Committee is mandated to review the procedures undertaken by BOST to evacuate the product, the transactions as well as ascertain the quality and remaining quantity of the product.

They would also determine if the product can be corrected and if not, determine the alternative use for the product.

The media broke the news on the release of some 5 million litres of off-spec fuel from Accra Plains Depot of BOST.

Preliminary investigations conducted by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on the issues observed that BOST had evacuated a total of 471,000 litres of the said product and suspended evacuation in compliance with NPA instructions.

Following that, a joint investigation by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and National Security cleared the Managing Director, Alfred Obeng, of any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Mr. Boakye Agyarko, indicated in his speech that the committee is to ensure the integrity of the petroleum product supplied in the country is protected, hence the inauguration.

“We wish to assure the general public that the Ministry is determined to ensure that the integrity of the petroleum product supplied in the country is protected. In view of this the ministry has constituted a committee into the matter”, he stated.

The Committee is expected to advise the Ministry on the necessary technical, administrative and legal actions to be taken. It has one month to present its findings to the Energy Minister.

Chairman for the committee is Dr. Lawrence Darkwa, Head of Chemical Engineering Department at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Other members include, Dennis Adamu Najar, Energy Commission, William Ntim-Boadu from the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors, David Adu-Osei, Bureau of National Investigations and Frank K. Nagetey from the Ghana Standard Authority.

The rest are John Sapara-Grant, Tema Oil Refinery, Kwaku Agyemang Duah, Association of Oil Marketing Companies, Samuel Asare-Bediako, National Petroleum Authority and Kofi Owusu-Hene Consumer Protection Agency.