The businessman at the centre of government’s Sputnik-V vaccine contract, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum has refunded the sum of $2,470,000 to Ghana.
The amount is the balance owed the country after the businessman pulled out of a contract to supply 300,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines, of which, he delivered 20,000.
The contract sum for the supply of the vaccines was $5,700,000.
A letter dated August 11, 2021 from the office of Shiekh Al Maktoum and addressed to the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health (MOH), Mr Kwabena Boadu Oku-Afari, confirmed the amount had been paid into a designated bank account provided by the ministry.
“The SWIFT and the payment advice for the refund is hereby attached for your reference and record.
“We also confirm that no funds have ever been drawn under the Letter of Credit (LC). Also, kindly note that the LC stands expired since June 2021 and it’s no longer a valid legal instrument issued in our favour,” the letter read.
Shiekh Al Maktoum said he was expecting a payment receipt once the funds were credited to the government’s bank account.
“We look forward to working on future endeavours with the ministry and your government to further enhance the bilateral relationship between our two brotherly countries,” the letter said.
It would be recalled that the Minister of Health, KwakuAgyeman-Manu, on August 2, 2021, wrote to Sheikh Al Maktoum requesting a refund of the amount paid him for the full supply of Sputnik V vaccines to the country.
It follows findings of an ad hoc parliamentary committee set up to probe the deal which established that the ministry breached the Constitution by failing to seek cabinet and parliamentary approval for the contract and not going through right procurement processes.
It thus tasked the MoH and the Finance Ministry to take immediate steps to retrieve monies already paid to the businessman for vaccines not supplied.
The controversial contract came to light after a Norwegian newspaper, VG, reported that government had engaged the services of a middleman to procure 3.4 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik-V vaccines.
It stated however, that the cost of each vaccine being sold to Ghana was $19, way higher than the original factory price of $10 per dose.
This prompted calls for the abrogation of the procurement contract and investigations into it.
Meanwhile, the minister has come under fire with a section of the public calling for his resignation or dismissal following the botched contract.
He has since proceeded on a two-week leave from work amidst pressure to resign.
BY TIMES REPORTER
