THE managements of Lushann-Eternit Energy Ghana Limited and its parent company in the US and Saltpond Offshore Company Limited have rendered their unqualified apology to the government and people of Ghana for the embarassment caused them regarding the theft of crude oil from the Saltpond Oilfields.

“It is with a sense of loss and disdain that an incident of such criminal magnitude has to be our subject matter,” they said in a statement signed on their behalf by Mr Henry Oppong Addae, consultant for Public Affairs and Government Business.

The statement said the theft was committed by the barge owners, Ocean and Oil Limited of Nigeria and that neither the personnel of the company nor Ghana National Petroleum Corporation envisaged, anticipated or got wind of the conspiracy to commit such a crime.

The statement said that they received series of correspondence from Ocean and Oil Limited to the effect that Saltpond Oil Comany was heavily indebted to them in freight charges and that if by Saturday March 29, the debt was not settled they would invoke the “Owners lien” clause in the agreement with them.

It said “our stake in Ghana’s premier oil production effort is far more in excess of the $2m, the consideration of the culprits”.

The statement said in their view the act committed by Ocean and Oil Ltd is criminal, illegal, in bad faith and completely mars the relationship between them since they have previously used that company to lift crude oil for which they duly paid all outstanding sums.

“We completely dissociate ourselves from the act and condemn it as an act of robbery of international magnitude,” the statement said and gave the assurance that they will co-operate with the government and the GNPC to locate the vessel and recover the cargo.

The statement said their Takoradi office promptly reported the disengagement of the vessel to the GNPC and sought assistance from the Ghana Navy but they are yet to receive any report as to why the barge could not be intercepted.

“We also wish to state that we will continue to render our unflinching support and co-operation towards the Interpol investigations initiated by the government of Ghana into this sordid affair to its logical conclusion.”