Skip to main content

Sputnik V: Sheikh Al Maktoum refunds $2.4m - Deputy Majority Leader confirms receipt


The Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo Markin, has confirmed that the United Arab Emirates-based agent, in the botched attempt to procure Sputnik V vaccines, has refunded the sum of $2.47 million to the government.

Sheikh Al Maktoum was due to supply about 300,000 Sputnik V vaccines in an agreement signed with the government, but his outfit delivered only 20,000.

The Parliamentary ad-hoc committee set up to investigate the controversial Sputnik V vaccine deal ordered the Finance Minister to retrieve the $2.47 million, representing the difference in the amount paid and quantity of vaccines supplied.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Sheikh Al Maktoum states that the requested amount of $2.47 million has already been refunded to the designated bank account as communicated by you.

Deputy Majority Leader confirms receipt of $2.4m refunded by Sheikh Al Maktoum

The communication had the SWIFT and the payment advice attached 

The nine-member ad-hoc Parliamentary Committee was set up to probe the controversial Sputnik V vaccine procurement deal.

Although the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, indicated that no money was paid to the company despite an initial 20,000 supplied to Ghana, the report by the committee found that 50 percent of the total contract sum was actually paid.

The Committee, therefore, tasked the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to take steps to recover the $2,850,000 expended towards the botched procurement of several doses of the Sputnik-V vaccine.

Deputy Majority Leader, Alex Afenyo Markin, who chaired the Committee, said with the money having been refunded, the matter should be closed.

accounts. If you ask me, I will say the Committee has no further action to take because the recommendation has been met with the refund of the money.”

There have been several calls by individuals and some civil society groups for the Health Minister to resign or be fired by the President, but Mr. Afenyo Markin considers the calls misplaced and accused those behind such calls, of failing to read the report of the Committee.

“It is not our finding that the Minister lied to us, and it is because people are not reading the outcome of our probe.

“The House listened to the audio of the Minister when he appeared before us, and it was clear the Minister never lied, and that is why the Minority changed their position.

“The Minister explained to us that at that time, he was not aware of any payment made and I think people must pay attention to the details because the Minister never lied.

“I am ready to defend because I’m defending the truth because the Minister has been very transparent in this matter and people must stop the emotional argument,” he charged.

Source: myjoyonline.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Invest your profits back into farming - COCOBOD boss to Cocoa Farmers

Joseph Boahen Aidoo is Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has charged cocoa farmers to be business minded in operating their farms and to partake fully in the various programmes introduced by COCOBOD to ensure good farm yields and to increase profits. "Good farming practices, like pruning, the timely application of fertilizers and proper pests control are essential at all times," he said. Joseph Boahen Aidoo stated this while interacting with farmers in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions, on the first day of his week-long tour of cocoa farms across the county. He was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Executive of Operations at COCOBOD, Dr Emmanuel Opoku, as well, as Directors and Research Scientists from COCOBOD. The tour is aimed at assessing the level of farmer participation in the various farm productivity improvement programmes implemented by COCOBOD; it is also...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stop running commentary on our investigations - A-G warns EOCO

Attorney-General, Gloria Akuffo Ms Gloria Afua Akuffo, the Attorney-General has asked the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to open itself to the public but to avoid running commentary on its investigations. According to her speaking in public about their investigations could only frustrates their efforts as well as give out too much information to criminals to change their mode of operations. “Criminals are always waiting to cover their tracks and therefore coming out to speak constantly about a matter, makes it easier for them to cover up and therefore frustrating the outcome of the investigations,” she stressed. She advised that the statutory body should avoid following rumours and suspicions so as not to not embarrass themselves. Ms Akuffo said this at EOCO’s maiden national stakeholders’ forum in Accra aimed at interacting with stakeholders and share information on cases investigated, prosecutions and convictions obtained as well as recoveries and confiscations made. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Allowing Benito to Go Unopposed is Unconstitutional - Group

Benito Owusu Bio A group calling itself Concern Youth of Atwima Nwabiagya North are describing it as unconstitutional, attempts by the constituency executives to allow Member of Parliament for the constituency, Hon Benito Owusu Bio to go unopposed in the party’s approaching parliamentary primaries. According to the group, the constituency executives in a series of meetings with the polling station executives concluded that nobody wi ll be allowed to contest the sitting MP, a decision most of the polling station executives are not happy with. Starting from first week of April, the constituency executives will send an endorsement forms to all the polling station executives to sign as they only need 40% and above the MP. Concern youth of Awima Nwabiagya North believes this is totally against the party’s constitution and must be condemned. The major political parties in Ghana have been democratizing their candidate selection process, allowing candidates to be freely selec...
Post a Comment
Read more