Sputnik V deal: Sheikh Al Maktoum agrees to refund $2.4M to Ghana
Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, the Dubai-based businessman the Ministry of Health contacted for the botched procurement of 300,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine has agreed to refund an amount of $2,470,000 to Ghana.
This was after the Ministry wrote to him for a refund.
A letter dated August 2, 2021, and signed by the Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, and addressed to the businessman requested a refund of the amount paid for undelivered doses of the vaccine.
Mr. Kwaku Agyemang Manu in the letter said, “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 of April 2021, funds were transferred into your accounts as fifty percent (50%) advance for the initial batch of 300,000 doses.”
In another letter sighted by Citi News purportedly from the businessman, he has agreed to refund the said amount to Ghana.
He thus asked the Ministry to confirm the amount and provide account details through which the refund should be processed.
“We acknowledge receipt of your letter, Ref No. MOIVOM/LL1/7/2I, 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.”
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. Please share with us the bank details where the refund needs to be processed.”
It has emerged that Ghana paid more than US$2.8 million to Sheikh Al Maktoum for the procurement of Sputnik V vaccine.
This is contrary to an earlier claim by the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, that the state has not expended any money towards the procurement of the vaccine through Sheikh Al Maktoum, a businessman based in Dubai.
The nine-member ad-hoc parliamentary committee set up to probe the controversial Sputnik V vaccine procurement deal in their final report indicated that US$2,850,000 representing 50% of the US$5,700,000 owed to Sheikh Dalmook Al Maktoum for the eventual supply of 300,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine was actually paid to him.
“According to the Bank of Ghana in its letter of 31st March, 2021, out of the total amount of US$5,700,000.00 owed to Sheikh Al Maktoum, an amount of US$2,850,000.00 representing 50% has been paid to him and that translates into a Cedi equivalent of GH¢16,331,640.00 converted at the exchange rate of US$1 to GH¢5.73,” the report said.
The committee therefore tasked the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta to retrieve the money that has been paid.
