A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Richard Amoako Baah, has condemned a recent $34.9 million deal for ambulance spare parts that has been linked to the children of president Akufo-Addo.
Speaking to TV3, the economist did not mince words, he labeled the transaction as “thievery”.
He questioned the necessity of the deal, highlighting that it is fundamentally flawed to set up a company to service new vehicles.
Dr. Amoako Baah argued that new vehicles should come with a warranty that can be negotiated with the supplier, negating the need for such a costly setup.
“They know that they are not going to do anything. First of all, if you buy a new vehicle, you don’t build a company to service it. You get warranty so you could negotiate. The company has another seven days. You need a warranty, the cars are in Ghana. Therefore, you have to build a plan there to service the vehicle. Very simple.
“You don’t go and borrow money to set that up. If you buy a fifty-four million worth of vehicle ambulances, they have to come and set it up. This is all false. This is falsehood. This is thievery, very simple. That’s what it is. Thievery, you can’t put it any other way. What purpose are you going to the new vehicles? When you buy a new vehicle, it breaks down. You don’t sell it to yourself. They give you a warranty. And if you’re buying from them, they will say there’s no warranty on it. Then you don’t buy it,” he added.
The $34million Ambulance Spare Part Deal is pure thievery" – Dr Richard Amoako Baah, Leading Member NPP/Political Scientist#TV3NewDay pic.twitter.com/h2BGeNyp5F
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) July 29, 2024
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has sparked fresh controversy over the procurement of ambulances under the Akufo-Addo administration.
In a recent Facebook post, Ablakwa claimed that President Akufo-Addo’s son-in-law, Stephen Okoro, played a key role in what he calls a “stinking” $34.9 million ambulance spare parts deal.
Ablakwa’s post reads, “Unimpeachable, irrefutable and irreproachable parliamentary oversight has finally smoked out the hidden characters behind the procurement of President Akufo-Addo’s flagship 307 ambulances.”
According to Ablakwa, the same individuals involved in the controversial spare parts deal were awarded opaque contracts worth $54.3 million to procure the ambulances.
He continues, “For the avoidance of doubt, the same President Akufo-Addo’s daughters’ business partners and close associates were the same guys hurriedly selected to import the ambulances under extremely shady and disgraceful circumstances.”
Ablakwa alleged that the procurement process was significantly inflated, asserting that the ambulances, which should have cost $24.56 million based on unit prices, were instead purchased for $54.3 million—an inflation of $29.74 million.
His investigation uncovered that companies such as Elok Consult and Services Limited, BEFT Engineering Works Limited, and others, which were established shortly after Akufo-Addo took office in 2017, were involved in the procurement process.
In response to the allegations about the spare parts deal, the Health Ministry has defended the process, stating that all procurement activities adhere strictly to legal frameworks and are subject to rigorous auditing to ensure transparency and accountability in public spending.
Ablakwa’s revelations have ignited public outcry and calls for a deeper investigation into the procurement practices.
HOW THE SAME AKUFO-ADDO’S AMBULANCE SPARE PARTS CABAL USED DIFFERENT COMPANIES TO PROCURE THE 307 WILDLY INFLATED AMBULANCES IN A US$108MILLION HEIST
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) July 30, 2024
Unimpeachable, irrefutable and irreproachable parliamentary oversight has finally smoked out the hidden characters behind the… pic.twitter.com/TuRcqO0PXY