Following public concern over the safety of fuel sold by Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST), it has emerged, the company sold off 12 million litres of contaminated fuel in 2016.

A Deputy Local government Minister, Osei Bonsu Amoah disclosed on Joy News' AM Show Wednesday, the sale of contaminated fuel is nothing new.

“This contaminated issue has been going on for a very long time at BOST, it’s not the first time; how they sell it, how they even procure; a lot of us even don’t know”.

What appears to be new is the public concern over whether the contaminated fuel has ever found its way to the pump for motorists.

The concern comes after confirmation that five million litres of contaminated fuel was sold off by BOST to two unlicensed companies - Zup Oil and Movenpiina.

The fuel is reportedly useful for some 'operational purposes'.

The off-spec products are used by the steel, garment, petro-chemical companies to run their machinery. It can also be used as mixture for asphalt and turpentine to prevent decay of wood.

Since the story broke last Tuesday, the National Petroleum Authority has moved in to assure the public that the contaminated product is not on the market.

Its checks show that a vast quantity has been kept at BOST.

One of the companies to have bought the unsafe fuel, Zup Oil, has said it has received 400,000 litres of the fuel after ordering two million litres. The NPA has sealed the tanks at Zup Oil depot in Tema.

Discussing the saga on Multi TV/Joy News morning show, the AM Show, Mr. O.B Amoah expressed worry about the management culture at BOST.

The Akuapim South MP referred to sometime in the past, when a CEO had to allocate some of the unsafe fuel to a union chairman to keep him quiet.

He said various schemes and scams have been going on at BOST which has finally attracted the attention of anti-graft body, EOCO.

He called for the sale of the fuel to be reversed as government investigates the issue of the sale of contaminated fuel.

"If they’ve paid any money, the money can be returned to them. If they haven’t paid please tell them we are no longer interested in the sale”.