The Ministry of Energy cannot investigate the scandal surrounding the forgery of the sector minister’s signature because the ministry itself has something to hide, Executive Director of Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Amin Adam asserts.
He has, therefore, reiterated his call on the president to set up a high level investigation to unravel the mystery behind the forgery.
Muira Petroleum Company, a subsidiary of a Canadian oil firm, Gondwana Oil Corporation, is alleged to have forged Energy Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah’s signature to sell off majority stake in an oil block off the coast of Cape Three Points.
Mr. Amin Adam told Evans Mensah on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, only an investigation at that level can restore the world’s confidence in Ghana’s oil industry.
“Unless we have a high level investigation and the result report to the world, Ghana’s oil and gas industry is at risk…when people go away with that letter, they are not going to talk good about our country. Therefore, the desire to develop our oil and gas industry is going to face serious challenges,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Miura Petroleum has in a release emphatically denied any wrong doing.
The Energy Ministry has instituted investigations into the alleged forgery, but Mr. Adam doubted the credibility of that investigation and its ability to win investor confidence.
He added that the statement by Miura is even a challenge to the Minister of Energy, and for that matter, he said, the Minister cannot be a player and referee at the same time.
The ministry was recently caught in a compromised situation after a statement insisting it has no dealing with Miura mysteriously vanished from its website. Coincidentally, Gondwana confirmed to stakeholders its dealing with the ministry pointing to the removal of the statement from the ministry’s website. After Joy News broke the story, the ministry quickly reposted the story claiming it was due to some maintenance works on the site.
“I was just wondering how maintenance could affect one press statement and all other press statements were left on the website.
“It sort of raises questions that the ministry also has something to hide. And so who is going to unlock this secrecy behind Miura and ministry deal? It is only when you have an independent investigation,” Amin Adam insisted.
Even though Economic and Organised Crime Office is also investigating the forgery, the Executive Director of ACEP said it is not independent enough to do a perfect job after claiming the office has been over politicized in Ghana.
