Kwaku Agyeman Manu
Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, has requested a refund of money paid to Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, for the supply of initial 300,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine.
This was contained in a letter addressed to Sheikh Al Maktoum, a member of the ruling family of Dubai, United Arab Emirates and titled, “Refund To The Government of Ghana the Balance of 300,000 Doses of Sputnik V Vaccine,” which runs into some $2,850,000.
Sheikh Al Maktoum’s company called AMERI was the same firm that entered into the controversial Ghana emergency power plant deal at the peak of the power crisis which came to be known as ‘dumsor’ under the Mahama-led NDC administration.
Ministry’s Letter
In the said letter signed by Mr. Agyeman-Manu, who is at the centre of the controversial deal, the Health Ministry acknowledged the termination of the vaccine supply agreement dated March 9, 2021 as per the supplier’s letter with reference no. ADM/LT/GHA/00/21/101 dated July 14, 2021.
The letter formally requested the refund of the remaining amount for the non-supplied doses, which should be the total amount paid to the private office of Sheikh Al Maktoum.
The refund, when done, would be minus the amount for the 20,000 doses already supplied to the country by Sheikh Al Maktoum.
The request was in response to an earlier e-mail dated July 25, 2021, in which it was affirmed that on April 13, 2021, funds were transferred into Sheik Al Maktoum accounts as 50 per cent advance for the initial batch of 300,000 doses for $19 per dose.
“This refund request is in line with clause 8. 2 of the agreement which states that ‘any termination of this Agreement, which shall be by notice in writing to the other Party, shall not affect any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities of the parties that have accrued up to the date of termination.
“It would be very much appreciated if the amount is transferred back into the sending bank account as per the earlier swift advice dated 9th April 2021,” the letter stated in part.
Payment
The government made a payment of $2,850,000 to Sheikh Al Maktoum for the procurement of the Sputnik V vaccine for COVID-19, which the minister claimed was without his knowledge.
Head of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Inua Yusif, in a letter dated August 3, 2021, and addressed to the nine-member ad-hoc committee set up to probe the procurement of the vaccine indicated that, “After the last appearance of the Honourable Minister for Health with his technical team before your Honourable Committee, some new information has come to the notice of the Ministry of Health that some funds have been transferred by the Government of Ghana to the Private Office of Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum in respect of the agreement for the supply of Sputnik V Vaccine.”
The Ministry of Health attached a document it claimed it received to the letter.
It included a letter from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to the Bank of Ghana in respect of an order of telegraphic transfer of funds, the Bank of Ghana foreign exchange transfer instructions and the Bank of Ghana notice of transfer of funds from the Government of Ghana to the Private Office of H. Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, the Legal Head explained.
He indicated further that the Health Minister did not know about the payment at the time he appeared before the committee, adding that “in line with clause 8.2 of the Agreement, the Ministry of Health has taken steps by requesting for the assistance of the Ministry of Finance to recover the remaining amount from the Private Office of Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, which should be the total amount paid, minus the amount due for the 20,000 doses already supplied.”
Response
Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum has accepted to refund the $2,850.00 paid into his account by the Government of Ghana in a letter addressed to the Health Minister.
“We acknowledge receipt of your letter, Ref No. MOH/OM/LU/7/21 dated 2nd of August 2021, with a formal request to refund the remaining amount of the non-supplied doses from the 50% advance transferred to our accounts,” the correspondence indicated.
It added that as per the records, the total amount for 300,000 doses is $ 5,700,000 out of which 50 per cent ($2,850,000) advance payment has been received through Letter of Credit (not withdrawn).
“50% advance received in our accounts $2,850,000 minimum amount for 20,000 doses supplied is $380,000. The Balance amount to be refunded to the Government of Ghana is $2,470,000,” the letter stated.
“We, hereby, request to kindly acknowledge and confirm the above-mentioned amounts to be refunded further to which we shall initiate the refund process to your bank account,” it concluded.
Parliamentary Probe
Mr. Agyeman-Manu has received some flak from some sections of the public over his handling of the whole Sputnik V vaccines deal which occasioned a by-partisan probe by Parliament.
The parliamentary committee tasked to probe the deal also submitted its report to Parliament on Friday, August 6, 2021, and recommended among other things that the Finance Ministry should retrieve the over $2 million paid the middlemen who were supposed to supply the vaccines to Ghana.
The committee found that the Ministry of Health did not comply with the requirements of Article 181(5) of the constitution in respect of its agreement with an intermediary, Messrs Al Maktoum.
The committee also determined that the agreements were entered into without prior approval by the Public Procurement Authority under Sections 40 and 41 of Act 663.
“The Agreements ensuing from the negotiations have been submitted to the PPA for ratification… Indeed, at the time of completing its work, PPA was yet to do the ratification.
“The committee urges the Minister for Finance to take steps to recover the money due to the Republic in respect of the amount of US$2,850,000.00 (Cedi equivalent of GH¢16,331,640.00) being the cost of the Sputnik V vaccines that were proposed to be procured,” the committee recommended.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri