OSP stops Tema Oil Refinery from proposed partnership with TEPL

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has issued a directive to the management of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to suspend its proposed partnership agreement with Tema Energy and Processing Limited (TEPL).

The OSP directive follows agitations of staff of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) who expressed their opposition to the partnership deal with Torentco Asset Management Limited now Tema Energy and Processing Limited.

On Monday, November 20, the General Transport, Petroleum, and Chemical Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Ghana petitioned the Special Prosecutor to investigate the lease agreement between the Tema Oil Refinery and Torentco Asset Management Limited.

The OSP, in a letter dated November 21, 2023, and addressed to TOR’s Managing Director Daniel Osei Appiah, noted that it had initiated an analysis of the corruption risks associated with the proposed partnership.

“You are directed to immediately suspend the proposed partnership agreement, ongoing negotiations, operations and all other ancillary activities arising out of and consequent upon the proposed partnership agreement until you are otherwise advised by the Special Prosecutor.”

According to the OSP, “it has commenced an analysis of the risk of corruption in respect of the proposed partnership.”

The letter instructed TOR to provide all necessary documentation related to the proposed agreement by the close of Tuesday, 5 December 2023.

 FULL STATEMENT