The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has challenged MPs who dispute his allegation that $34.9 million (GH¢538 million) was approved for ambulance replacement parts by former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

In a Facebook post on Monday, July 22, 2024, Mr. Ablakwa accused Ofori-Atta and former health minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu of colluding with a private company to cause financial loss to the state. This allegation has been met with rebuttals from some majority MPs.

Paul Twum-Barimah, the MP for Dormaa East, claimed that the alleged amount in the deal is inaccurate and demanded an apology from Mr. Ablakwa for what he described as false accusations.

However, speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning show, Mr. Ablakwa defended his claims, stating that he had conducted thorough research and investigations before making the publication. He insisted that his allegations are based on solid evidence.

“I’m not speaking in conjecture; I’m not speaking to rumor; I’m not speaking to hearsay. I’m speaking directly to intercepted documents, which are unimpeachable, irrefutable, and impeccable. So if any Member of Parliament on the other side says that I’ve said anything that is not true, they should provide the counter-evidence,” he asserted.

Mr. Ablakwa criticized the Dormaa East MP’s response, suggesting it indicated a lack of review of the published documents. He added that such individuals make false claims to discredit the messenger.

The MP said he expects the government to respond to the issue by explaining the rationale behind approving the deal and justifying the expenditure on the ambulance spare parts. He also demands a detailed breakdown of the approved parts.

“It’s really shocking that Ghana would be the only country in this world spending a whopping US$113,000 on just spare parts. I would like to see a breakdown of those spare parts. This is scandalous,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ablakwa has since filed a petition with the Office of the Special Prosecutor demanding an investigation into the scandal.

GA/BB