The Managing Editor and Publisher of Energy News Africa Limited, Michael Creg Afful has petitioned the Special Prosecutor to investigate the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) in a suspected shady transaction.
According to the statement released on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, the operator of the online portal: “picked information that TOR had sold a total of 260MT (equivalent of 260,000 litres) of slop oil in its tank to K-Moy Ghana Limited and Petro XP Ghana Limited. The companies received 130 metric tonnes each.”
“The managing editor of the online portal, who wanted to be certain about the matter, I called on Mr. Charles Awuah, GM Commerce, who is a signatory to the document, on the telephone, and scheduled a meeting with him,” the statement said.
Mr. Afful noted that in his meeting with Mr. Awuah and three other people he pulled out a letter explaining how shady the sale of the product was.
“Immediately, Mr. Charles Awuah sighted the letter I showed him, he gave me his business card and asked me to officially write to TOR on the matter.”
After several days the petitioner received a call from Matilda Adjoah Fremah from the Public Affairs Department of TOR, who mentioned that the product being investigated was a waste product.
“I insisted that she put her response in writing to make it official but that has not been forthcoming,” he added.
According to Mr. Afful, energynewsafrica.com’s investigation reveals that Martha Osei- Yeboah and Kwabena Osei-Yeboah are Directors of K-Moy Ghana Limited.
“Our search revealed that the Registrar-General’s Department data has no such name as Petro XP Ghana Limited. That means Petro XP Ghana is not a registered entity,” Mr. Afful added.
He further disclosed that checks at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), have shown that neither company has registered with the Authority to do oil business in the downstream petroleum sector.
“Given the suspicion of energynewsafrica.com that a group of persons could have engaged in robbing the Republic of Ghana,” the petitioner said.
He therefore requested that the Special Prosecutor ensure that culprits get prosecuted.
Meanwhile Tema Oil Refinery has debunked the allegations by energynewsafrica.com that the Refinery has engaged in a shady disposal and sale of slop oil to Petro XP Ghana Limited and K-Moy Ghana Limited.
In a statement released on July 1, 2022, TOR noted that Petrol XP Ghana Limited and K-Moy Ghana Limited have the same directors and have been doing business with TOR since 2021.
“Petrol XP is their registered with Petrol XP as their trade name. The documents available to TOR conforms with documentation at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
The statement further explained that the slop oil in question is a mixture of petroleum product, water and solids therefore, rendering it a waste product.
“The above activities have been part and parcel of the Refinery’s processes ever since its establishment; thus, this disposal is not out of the ordinary as being portrayed; especially when there is no crude oil or Atmospheric Residue in our tanks,” the statement added.
It mentioned that transactions undertaken by the Refinery do not entertain physical monies instead payment are made to the company’s account and “this disposal and sale of waste oil is no exception.”
It therefore, stated that TOR has been engaging in this business with many other companies and has been transparent with the entire process.
