Your statement doesn’t address the real issues – Ablakwa tells Health Ministry on spare parts deal

North Tongu lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has told the Ministry of Health that the statement that they issued responding to his revelation on the spare parts deal, does not answer the real issues that he has raised.

The Ministry had said that the service provider, Ghana Auto Group Limited, has not been paid an amount of $34.9 million for Ambulance spare parts as widely reported.

This followed Ablakwa’s allegation that a procurement deal for ambulance spare parts worth $34 million was a collusion between former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, former Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, and the private company to defraud the state.

The Ministry of Health in a statement dated Thursday, July 25,  said “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 statement, Mr Ablakwa said on News Central on TV3 Friday, July 26 that “Since I carried out my constitutional mandate of parliamentary oversight and I put out the fact, that nowhere have I said that all the 34.9 million dollars had been paid. I have consistently said that Ofori-Atta, before he left office on the 14th of February, he signed the letter on the 9th of February, two letters, one approving 34.9 million dollars to be used for this unconscionable deal,  the second letter to the CAGD was that 10 million dollars out of  34.9 million dollars should be released and I attached the evidence, all the letters. That is what I have said.

“In my petition to the OSP, I said the OSP must stop the imminent payment of the balance. I have run to the OSP asking the OSP to carry out its mandate to stop further payment, that out of the 34 million dollars, 10 million has been released but the outstanding 24 million dollars I don’t want it released.

“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? ”