BP Oil refused critical fuel supply until Shoreline paid debts, says COO

Following the events of November 16 BP Oil, the supplier of diesel fuel for Tonga's electricity supply refused to make further deliveries of critical fuel supplies, while demanding full payment and guarantees from the government, a Shoreline executive charges. David Dunkley, the Chief Operating Officer of Tonga's Shoreline Group of Companies said in a statement yesterday that the government in late November had made a payment of just under $2 million directly to BP Oil, in order to resume the supplies of diesel fuel to Shoreline for power generation.