A critical but cost-saving measure being implemented by the new Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST), Alfred Obeng Boateng, has irked the ‘mafias’ within the firm to show up and resist the change.
Kasapafmonline.com can authoritatively state that there is fear and panic among the cartel operating within the BOST, with the ring leaders vowing heaven and earth to do everything within their might to see the back of the new MD if he does not change his ways.
The ‘mafias’ are spread across the various departments of BOST, especially, where critical decisions are made.
From the Finance Department through to the Human Resource Department and the Trading Department, there is fear and panic among some staff that see the managerial style of the new MD as an end to their alleged corrupt practices.
These ‘mafias’, this portal is told, were allegedly given the free role by the previous administration, with their alleged modus operandi said to have cost the nation some millions of dollars through ‘suspicious’ or over priced contracts.
Inside sources say, these ‘mafias’ were strategically positioned to serve their masters very well and even cause disaffection within the firm should there be a change of the MD.
However, with Mr. Alfred Obeng Boateng’s decision to suspend and review or investigate some of the contracts that BOST entered into with some of its trading partners, this has ruffled the feathers of the ‘mafia’ group who have vowed to ensure that the MD is kicked out.
Our sources within BOST say the recent off-spec product that was sold at GH₵1.30p per liter as against the normal ex-depot rate of GH₵1.75p for normal products, thus 26% discount off the normal product was a well orchestrated plan to tarnish the image of the MD.
The off-spec product or contaminated product, according to our source, happened during the days of the Awuah-Darko administration but the cost saving measure adopted by the new MD to get rid of the said product and create space to store new products provoked the ‘mafias’ to “come out with a cooked story”.
“Before Awuah-Darko left office, this contaminated oil product was there. Now the idea was how do we get rid of this product in order to create enough space to store new products since the BDCs were getting angry for lack of space? When Mr. Boateng took over in March 2017, three options were presented to him by Fred Ayakwa from the Trading Department. The first option was to have a corrective treatment of the off-spec product at TOR but it wasn’t possible because TOR was not operating. The second option was to gradually inject a total of 700,000 litres of the off-spec product into 10,000,000 of normal product over a period of 10 months. This would have deprived the BDCs a storage capacity tank of 20,000,000 litres over the said period. The third option was to sell the off-spec product at a competitive ex-depot price. Options 2 and 3 come with some losses but comparatively, the losses in option three far lower, hence the decision by the new MD to go for option 3,” our source noted.
Our source say, the ‘mafias’ within had wanted Mr. Boateng to let them be at the forefront of the sale of the off-spec product but his decision to decline their request irked them to gag him.
The coming days may not be too palatable to the ‘mafias’ as Mr. Boateng moves his managerial style to another level.
Already, Mr. Boateng’s administration has uncovered a fictitious account that was created in the name of “Chief of Staff Sundry account” where an amount of GH₵40.5million was transferred into it for a period of 13 months.
This account, Kasapafonline.com understands, was allegedly created with the help of the then Acting General Manager of BOST, Finance.
The last payment into the account was effected on January 2017.
The Acting General Manager, Finance, is on interdiction in connection with the said issue.
Another staff in the Trading Department who also released a product worth US$33million to honour an alleged dubious holding certificate without the approval of Mr. Boateng has also been interdicted.
