Health Minister Agyeman-Manu chases Sheikh Maktoum for $2.85m Sputnik V vaccine Cash

Ghana’s health minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu is pursuing a family member of the royal household of Dubai, Sheikh Al Maktoum, to return some US$2.85 million (GHC16,331,640) paid to him as part payment to procure Sputnik V vaccines.

Sheikh Al Maktoum was supposed to supply about 300, 000 Sputnik V vaccines in an agreement signed with the government, but was able to deliver only 20,000 doses.

The Parliamentary ad-hoc committee set up to investigate the controversial Sputnik V vaccine deal, has ordered the finance minister to retrieve the US$2.85 million (GHC16,331,640) paid to Sheikh Al Maktoum as part payment to procure Sputnik V vaccines.

Read More: Governance Watch Ghana’s Statement on Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu

“By this letter, I also wish to formally request for the refund of the remaining amount for the non-supplied doses, which should be the total amount paid to your office, minus the amount due for the 20, 000 doses you already supplied, in line with your earlier email dated 25 July 2021 in which it was affirmed that on the 13 April 2021 funds were transferred into your accounts as 50% advance for the initial batch of 300, 000 doses,” the letter dated 2 August 2021 and signed by the minister said.

“It would be very much appreciated if the amount is transferred back into the sending bank account as per the earlier swift advice dated 9 April 2021,” the letter added.

Call to resign

The pressure group, OccupyGhana, has called for the resignation or dismissal of the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu over the botched Sputnik V vaccine procurement contract.

OccupyGhana said it does not believe the emergency situation created by the pandemic was sufficient reason for the health minister to breach the law.

“We do not think that the emergency situation created by the pandemic and the urgency required, constituted sufficient reasons to bypass all of these steps that are required by law. As Parliament has indicated, it would have acted with the speed and urgency that the emergency required, had the request for approval been made to it,” OccupyGhana’s statement dated 9 August 2021 said.

Source: Daily Mail GH