The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has debunked media reports that its Chief Executive Hassan Tampuli was paid over ¢1.5 million as rent advance for a plush apartment at Villagio.
“The allegation is scandalous, malicious and wicked lies calculated at tarnishing the hard won reputation and uncommon integrity of the Chief Executive, which is built on truth,” the NPA said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We state without any equivocation that, on no occasion has the Chief Executive been a recipient of any rent advance or paid any amount of money as rent advance,” it explained.
Insisting that the NPA has not paid rent advance to any of its staff including the CEO, the statement was emphatic that Mr. Hassan Tampuli has not paid monthly rent of $27,000 for any apartment anywhere in Accra or elsewhere.
It however noted that the Authority rented an apartment for the use of the Chief Executive as his official accommodation with the approval of its Governing Board, but did not state the amount involved.
“As a result of the Board’s decision to provide accommodation for the official use of the Chief Executive, accommodation allowance payable to the Chief Executive as part of his condition of service, was immediately discontinued. This has resulted in a diminution of income to the Chief Executive.”
The statement challenged media houses, citing the New Vanguard and www.thenewstateman.com, that made the allegations to also provide details of houses they claimed are owned by Mr. Hassan Tampuli in Accra to the NPA.
The media houses have been given seven days to retract and apologize for the defamatory story.
The NPA statement also rejected claims that the CEO has been intimidating or victimizing staff at the National Petroleum Authority, describing the present condition at the Authority as “perfect industrial harmony”.
The statement suspects the allegations are calculated to “to frustrate him from dealing ruthlessly with illegal fuel smuggling syndicates will not succeed”.
“We wish to state emphatically that, the Chief Executive remains resolute in pursuit of saboteurs who remain restless and disturbed by his unrelenting efforts to deal with criminality in the petroleum downstream sector.”
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