Paul Twum-Barimah, the Member of Parliament for Dormaa East, has called on Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, to issue an apology to former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and former Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu over allegations concerning a procurement deal for ambulance spare parts.
Ablakwa had accused the former ministers of colluding with a private company to deceive the state, claiming that the deal was worth $34 million. However, Twum-Barimah stated that the alleged amount in the scandal is inaccurate and called for an apology to the individuals involved, citing discrepancies in Ablakwa’s calculations.
He explained that the calculations presented by Ablakwa were incorrect, summing up to $120 million instead of the alleged $34 million, and highlighted the need for accurate information. Twum-Barimah advised Ablakwa to recall the documents and apologize to Ofori-Atta and Agyeman-Manu, acknowledging that he may have gotten the dates wrong and that the documentation was incorrect.
Ablakwa had announced his intention to petition the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the alleged $34.9 million procurement deal, claiming that Ofori-Atta had hastily approved the deal just five days before leaving office.
He accused the former finance minister of failing to follow due process and raised concerns about the beneficiary company’s capability to service ambulances. The company, Service Ghana Auto Group Limited, was incorporated on April 24, 2020, which Ablakwa argued raises questions about its ability to service ambulances commissioned in 2019.
Twum-Barimah’s call for an apology comes as a response to Ablakwa’s accusations, which he believes are based on inaccurate information and a lack of understanding of the procurement process. The matter has sparked a debate about transparency and accountability in government procurement deals, with both sides presenting their arguments and calling for clarity on the issue.
