Issues surrounding the hidden report of committee of enquiry set up to investigate allegations of fraud, impropriety, arm-twisting and extortion at the Accra Plains and Kumasi Depots of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport Company Limited (BOST), in 2013, are becoming funny and the same time murky.
The report on dirty deals, as first made public by The Inquisitor in its Friday, April 30, 2021 to Sunday, May 2, 2021 edition, has brought to fore lots of interesting things that took place at BOST after the inquisition committee was set up.
Although a teaser by the newspaper on the report attracted several moves to stop the publication, the paper, as a social duty owed the Ghanaian public, went ahead to make the all-damning report public.
Also, attempts by certain people indicted by the report to bribe the operators of The Inquisitor newspaper from publishing the report, failed.
As a matter of fact, emissaries were sent to handlers of the paper, to talk them out of publishing the hidden report because one of the subjects mentioned in it, was gunning to become the Managing-Director of BOST.
After the bribery attempt failed, the affected person in the report decides to resort to blackmail; warning that should the report be made public, he would retaliate by making damning revelations against the people he suspects may have leaked the report to The Inquisitor newspaper. Persons explicitly mentioned in the report include Mr. Bagnaba Van-Gough, Mr. John Kojo Arkoful, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, among others.
The report was sanctioned by the then Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, following numerous complaints of fraud, impropriety, arm-twisting and extortion, at the Accra Plains and Kumasi Depots, by Bulk Distribution Companies (BDCs), Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), Transporters, Tanker Drivers and other parties that dealt with BOST.
After the committee’s report, however, Mr. Buah was cowed into submission; and would not make the report public and all those who had copies were one way or the other, also cowed into submission.
There were several moves within the then government to kick out the minister from office, for setting up a committee to look into those serious allegations.
Some of the persons indicted in the report though were marked to be transferred, were saved by the Presidency, as letters written to the Managing Director from the Presidency, ordered their continued stay.
Some of the elements mentioned in the report as having done things wrongly, have been able to worm their way into the corridors of power in the Nana Akufo-Addo administration, to such extent that they are currently scrambling to the BOST Managing-Director position.
Interestingly, trusted persons very close to the President are believed to have compromised themselves and made promises to these interested parties.
The Inquisitor is privy to machinations within the corridors of power, over who occupies the BOST seat, as the President is yet to name Chief Executives of state agencies.
In the mind of one of the elements mentioned in the 2013 report, he would definitely be appointed as the BOST MD because of his links with persons closer to President Akufo-Addo.
Meanwhile, Law firm, A-Partners @Law, led by Samson Lardy Anyenini, has gone after publishers of The Inquisitor newspaper and daybreakgh.com, an online portal, over what it considers is defamatory publication against General Manager, Field Operations of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Bagnaba Van Gogh.
Signed by Samson Lardy Anyenini Esq., the caution statement touted Mr. Bagnaba’s more than two decades stewardship of integrity at BOST and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) for the national benefit and adds that it has at no point been a subject of, or invited into, any disciplinary proceedings on the matter that is subject of the publication by the said Inquisitor newspaper and Daybreak, contrary to impressions.
“Our client, for the avoidance of doubt, wishes to place on record that he has for over two decades served the GNPC and BOST respectively cumulatively with integrity deploring his professional and peculiar technical knowledge and skills to give his utmost for the ultimate financial and strategic national benefit.” The lawyer’s statement said.
“In fact, as APD Manager, the procedural protocol will show that he would not have the mandate to direct or control some of the things you attribute to him. The records will also show that he may have incurred the displeasure of persons including a member and Secretary to the inquiry whose company he arrested for stealing petroleum products.” It added.
We have firm instructions to, without further notice to you, assert our client’s rights at law if the complained conduct is continued.
The full statement from Lawyer Anyenini:
We hold the instructions of the above-named to caution you to refrain from misreading, misinterpretation or misuse of a purported investigative report to deliberately discredit and maliciously injure his reputation.
Our client takes notice that you have repeated a defamatory publication abandoned many years ago by cowardly souls hiding behind mercenary reporters.
Your malicious publication of April 30, 2021 titled ‘2013 Skeleton At BOST Unwrapped’ was done and circulated without recourse to him as required by the rules of fair-play and basic journalistic ethics.
An investigative committee inquired into allegations of wrongdoing generally by depot managers of BOST in 2013. Our client, depot manager in charge of Accra Plains at the time, was among several others who attended upon the committee. No official report was issued to him about any wrongdoing on his part and he was never the subject of any disciplinary sanctions as a result of the inquiry or anytime thereafter.
He has become aware, unofficially, of the purported report, you claim to reference and takes a serious view of the seeming sponsored complained conduct in reckless disregard for due process, ethical and responsible journalism.
Our client will formally procure a copy of the said report in processes in further vindication of his good name and reputation.
Our client, for the avoidance of doubt, wishes to place on record that he has for over two decades served the GNPC and BOST respectively cumulatively with integrity deploring his professional and peculiar technical knowledge and skills to give his utmost for the ultimate financial and strategic national benefit.
In fact, as APD Manager, the procedural protocol will show that he would not have the mandate to direct or control some of the things you attribute to him. The records will also show that he may have incurred the displeasure of persons including a member and Secretary to the inquiry whose company he arrested for stealing petroleum products.
We have firm instructions to, without further notice to you, assert our client’s rights at law if the complained conduct is continued.
Be advised accordingly.
More Soon!
Source: The Inquisitor