The claims made by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, concerning a $34.9 million ambulance spare parts purchase have been addressed by the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry made it clear in a statement issued on Thursday, July 25, that Service Auto Group Ghana Limited and the now-defunct Ministry of Special Development Initiatives originally signed the agreement.
The government procured 307 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 315 CDI ambulances in 2019, and the contract included after-sales repair and maintenance for those vehicles.
The statement follows Mr. Ablakwa’s petition to the Office of the Special Prosecutor after he voiced concerns about potential corruption in the sale.
Five days before to his resignation, the former Deputy Education Minister said the Finance Minister had approved the purchase in a hurry and that $10 million had already been paid to the company.
According to Mr. Ablakwa, he is taking steps to safeguard the country’s residual finances. Given that Service Auto Group Ghana Limited was only established on April 24, 2020—one year after the ambulances were put into service in 2019—he questioned the company’s validity.
The outspoken MP expressed doubts about the company’s ability to maintain the ambulances and expressed amazement that the government had hired them in spite of the Auditor General’s negative conclusions that cast doubt on the company’s reliability.
Additionally, he has connected the two daughters of President Akufo-Addo to the aforementioned company, claiming that his checks show that one of the company’s directors is close to the daughters’ business.
The Ministry of Health clarified that the Finance Minister simply took action at the request of the Health Ministry following the dissolution of the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives, without directly addressing the accusations of corruption.
“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.”
“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,” a portion of the statement read.
The Ministry went on to say that, in the public interest, it is prepared to back any initiative that may further elucidate this matter.