North Tongu lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has instructed the Ministry of Health that the assertion that they issued responding to his revelation on the spare components deal, doesn’t reply the true points that he has raised.
The Ministry had mentioned that the service supplier, Ghana Auto Group Limited, has not been paid an quantity of $34.9 million for Ambulance spare components as extensively reported.
This adopted Ablakwa’s allegation {that a} procurement deal for ambulance spare components value $34 million was a collusion between former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, former Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, and the personal firm to defraud the state.
The Ministry of Health in a press release dated Thursday, July 25, mentioned “The Ministry of Health would like to clarify that the Service Provider, Ghana Auto Group Limited, has not been paid an amount of $34.9 million as widely reported.”
It added “All documentation covering this transaction is a matter of public record and can be accessed by the public. The Ministry of Health is ready to support any effort that will bring further clarity to this issue in the interest of the public.”
“The Ministry of Health is committed to ensuring a sustainable maintenance regime for all fleets procured for the National Ambulance Service to provide reliable, efficient, and safe emergency medical services.”
But reacting to the Ministry’s assertion, Mr Ablakwa mentioned on News Central on TV3 Friday, July 26 that “Since I carried out my constitutional mandate of parliamentary oversight and I put out the actual fact, that nowhere have I mentioned that each one the 34.9 million {dollars} had been paid. I’ve persistently mentioned that Ofori-Atta, earlier than he left workplace on the 14th of February, he signed the letter on the ninth of February, two letters, one approving 34.9 million {dollars} for use for this unconscionable deal, the second letter to the CAGD was that 10 million {dollars} out of 34.9 million {dollars} ought to be launched and I connected the proof, all of the letters. That is what I’ve mentioned.
“In my petition to the OSP, I mentioned the OSP should cease the upcoming fee of the steadiness. I’ve run to the OSP asking the OSP to hold out its mandate to cease additional fee, that out of the 34 million {dollars}, 10 million has been launched however the excellent 24 million {dollars} I don’t need it launched.
“We have to protect the public purse, how can the Ministry knowing this fact put out a statement and say that they haven’t paid 34.9 million dollars? Clearly, this statement doesn’t address any of the fundamental issues. Why did they engage Service Auto Ghana limited when they were not a registered company? ”