Refund of Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccines funds does not exonerate Health Minister - CDD

Pharmacist asks if there are no consequences for wrong actions in Ghana

Health minister should be showing remorse, Sarpong Asiedu

I have done nothing wrong, Health Minister

A pharmacist and Fellow of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Kwame Sarpong Asiedu, has said the refund of money used unlawfully to acquire the Sputnik-V COVID-19 transaction by the health minister does not exonerate him.

According to him, now that the fact-finding committee has established that the minister committed several infractions, there have to be consequences.

“Now the report is in and both at the committee level and the house, it has been accepted... now that the facts are bear and we have all seen it. Do we live in a country where there are no consequences?

“I think we have gone past the point of mitigation... I believe there have to be consequences for people’s actions. Because I do not think Ghana’s laws are advised, Ghana’s laws are for implementation,” he said

He reiterated that if a committee finds that someone has done something wrong there should be punitive measures and in this case, the punitive measure is to be taken by the appointing authority which is the president but parliament can also take action just as they are.

Sarpong Asiedu said claims that money has been refunded, therefore, there is no need to take action against the minister were unfounded because it will give the indication that there are no consequences for wrong actions.

He added that the behaviour of the Heath Minister was not helping because he has failed to show remorse for the actions he took regarding the unlawful Sputnik-V COVID-19 transaction.

He added that the minister, instead of being defensive, should come out and acknowledge his faults.

The Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, is insisting that he did nothing wrong with regards to the Sputnik-V COVID-19 transaction.

However, Parliament’s Select Committee on Health and the whole house have adopted a report that showed that the minister committed several infractions during the transaction.