Dubai-based businessman, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum who the Government of Ghana contracted to supply Sputnik V vaccines has refunded over $2million to the State for 300,000 doses he was unable to supply.
This comes after the embattled Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu wrote a letter to demand a refund.
In a letter, the Health Minister stated “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 e-mail dated 25th July, 2021, in which it was affirmed that on the 13th April, 2021, funds were transferred into your accounts as fifty percent (50%) advance for the initial batch of 300,000 doses.”
In response, the Office of the businessman in a letter dated 11th August 2021 and addressed to the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Kwabena Boadu Oku-Afari said: “the requested amount of Two Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand United States Dollars (USD22,470,000) has already been refunded to the designated bank account, as communicated by you. The SWIFT and the payment advice for the refund have been attached for your reference and record.”
The Health Minister has been under intense pressure after the botched agreement for the supply of Sputnik V vaccines with Sheikh Al Maktoum who acted as a middleman.
After presenting Ghana with 20,000 doses of the vaccine instead of the initially agreed doses of 300,000 for the first batch, the deal was subsequently terminated.
Source: Kasapafmonline.com/102.5FM
