BOST fingered in $78m scandal; Minority calls for probe  

BOST

The Minority in Parliament is calling for an independent probe into an alleged US$ 78 million procurement scandal at the Bulk Oil and Transportation Company (BOST).

Speaking to the media in Parliament today July 28, 2022, the MP for Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency and Ranking Member, Mines and Energy Committee, John Abdulai Jinapor mentioned that a single unit tower that can be constructed at US$ 39 million has been inflated and approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) at US$78 million.

He revealed that the project is being supervised by the Akufo-Addo government without recourse to the law and respect to the citizenry amidst the current economic hardships.

John Abdulai Jinapor  added that former Chief Executive Officer at BOST, Kwame Awuah Darko began the construction of the twin tower office in 2015 to serve as office accommodation and enhance internally generated funds at the company.

He claimed that the current Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration falsely accused Mr. Awuah Darko of inflating and padding the contract and as a result, they suspended the project.

The Minority argues that although Mr. Awuah Darko was cleared of any wrongdoing after a probe by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), recent developments and documents available uncovered the scandal.

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“We are firm in our conviction that this is a classic case of causing financial loss to the state. This is another PDS, Ameri and Movinpina scandal in the making. The Energy sector under the current NPP administration has become a Pollution Haven for regularized corruption, inflated favouritism, and rusted nepotism,” he said.

”We say so because we have noted that the current Management of BOST decided to acquire only one of the twin unit buildings due to the precarious financial position of the company, however, it applied to the Public Procurement Authority for approval to vary the original contract for the single unit from the original price of $19. 5 million per unit to a new cost of $24 million.”

“To our utmost shock and dismay, but, of course, as usual of this government, the PPA without any reasonable justification in granting the approval hiked the contract sum to an inflated figure of $39,000,000.00 (Thirty-Nine Million United Sates Dollars) for a single unit when BOST could have originally constructed the twin-tower office at the original price of $39 million”, “We, the Minority in Parliament, hereby serve notice that anything short of an independent investigation shall be rejected and denounced by the NDC and the good people of Ghana. We shall remain vigilant and resolute in our quest to ensure that the continuous looting and plundering of the resources”, John Abdulai Jinapor told press men.

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu

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