Kwaku Agyeman-Manu and Martin Kpebu
• Martin Kpebu says the health is not exonerated with the Dubai businessman’s decision to refund the money
• He said the matter would have been put to rest if the health minister had resigned
• Kpebu insists the amount quoted by the businessman is not the amount paid to him
Lawyer Martin Kpebu, has said, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum’s decision to refund $2,470,000 paid by the government to supply 300,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines does not exonerate Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, the health minister.
He explained, the recent events worsen the case of the minister because the matter would have been laid to rest if he [health minister] had resigned ‘honourably.’
“The Health Minister is not exonerated. Not at all. It is making him look even worse. Perhaps, if he had gone from day one, this money would have been paid. As the case keeps getting traction, then new angles emerge and the more Mr Agyeman-Manu is sinking. Over a month ago, we said go. He wouldn’t go. He thought he could ride this storm but the storm appears to be riding him,” Martin Kpebu said on a JoyNews programme monitored by GhanaWeb.
Sheikh Al Maktoum, the Dubai-based businessman in a letter to the Health Ministry dated August, 5, agreed to refund $2,470,000 out of the total $5,700,000 paid to him.
But Martin Kpebu argues that the businessman needs to refund the amount paid to him and not the $2,470,000 he stated in his reply to the minister.
“The context is that the Supreme Court was looking at the point that even if the contract is void, and the person has worked, at least pay him for what he has done. That’s the common law principle but the court is apprehensive that if we are not careful people will continue working, especially when they know they don’t have their approvals, knowing very well that once you work, you will be paid.
“So, the court is keen to stop it so it says for us, once you breach Article 181 clause 5, if you are an international person coming, nothing should be paid.
“Now, he (Health Minister) has ended up giving Al Maktoum a relatively big bill. Now Al Maktoum will have to cough up all the money”, Martin Kpebu stated.
He, therefore, advised the health minister “to write a new letter, if someone is near Mr Agyeman-Manu, he or she should tap him that he should get his lawyers. Tomorrow, he has to write a new letter to Sheikh Al Maktoum to bring back all the money.”
