The OSP, in a letter dated November 21, 2023, and addressed to the Managing Director of TOR, Daniel Osei Appiah, said "It has commenced an analysis of the risk of corruption in respect of the proposed partnership."
The Office thus directed TOR to furnish all the necessary documentation regarding the proposed agreement on or before the close of Tuesday, December 5, 2023.
“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,” portions of the letter said.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Adjebeng, was petitioned to investigate the lease agreement between the Tema Oil Refinery and Torentco Asset Management Limited by the General Transport, Petroleum, and Chemical Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Ghana.
The Union, in a petition dated October 19, 2023, said, "We wish to request that your highly esteemed office investigate and intervene in the ongoing lease arrangement of Tema Oil Refinery to Torentco Asset Management Limited, now Tema Energy and Processing Limited, with the same individuals involved."
The Transport Workers Union believes "the actions of the individuals behind Tema Energy and Processing Limited seek to induce workers of TOR with 20% of its shares through misrepresentation of workers in an entity by the name "TOR Workers Charity Trust” that never existed nor heard of at TOR, apart from the five individual directors and direct beneficiaries of this trust."
They expressed fear that the country might be shortchanged because the Board of Directors of TOR has been compromised in the deal.