3 months ago
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The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has denied claims it has paid an amount of US$10 million to the Service Ghana Auto Group (SGAG) for spare parts and maintenance contract it entered with the Ghana Ambulance Services (GAS).
A source within the bank disclosed to the Ghanaian Times that no payment had been made so far since no demand had been placed for such payment to be effected.
“We’ve established the letters of credit (LC) in favour of Service Ghana Auto Group for US$10 million. We confirm that there has not been any payment on the LC as we’re yet to receive any call or demand on it,” the source emphasised.
The claim is in response to allegations by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa that the government had made some payments to SGAG for the “spare parts” it supplied to the GAS.
Mr Ablakwa alleged that the deal was hastily approved by the then Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, five days before his removal from office and claimed that US$10 million had already been paid to the company.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Health, last Thursday, has also denied the assertion that the contract was hurriedly signed by the Ministry of Finance.
It explained the original contract was signed by the now-defunct Ministry of Special Development Initiatives with Service Auto Group Ghana Limited.
The statement said the then Minister of Finance, Mr Ofori-Atta, acted only upon the request of the Ministry of Health following the scrapping of the Ministry of Special Development initiative.
The contract with Service Auto Group Ghana Limited was for the provision of after-sales service and maintenance for 307 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 315 CDI ambulances.
The statement also clarified that no payment had yet been effected, stressing that “the Ministry of Health would like to clarify that the Service Provider, Ghana Auto Group Limited, has not been paid an amount of US$34.9 million as widely reported.”
It said the ministry was to ensuring a sustainable maintenance regime for all fleets procured for the National Ambulance Service to provide reliable, efficient, and safe emergency medical services.
BY TIMES REPORTER
