General News of Friday, 15 September 2017

Source: mynewsgh.com

Ambulance saga: I will cooperate with investigations - Alex Segbefia

Former Minister for Health, Alex Segbefia Former Minister for Health, Alex Segbefia

Former Minister for Health, Alex Segbefia has indicated his willingness to assist in investigations that led to a 2.4 million Euro ambulance procurement contract signed by the Health Ministry.

The matter was referred to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after the Minister for Health Kweku Agyemang Manu questioned the circumstances under which the contract was signed.

According to the Health Minister, 30 of the ambulance shipped so far were substandard and did not meet specification, hence was rejected.

He said, he later found out without any documentary support that the vehicles had been paid for which informed his decision to invite EOCO and the national security to probe the matter further.

But Mr Segbefia speaking on Citi Fm said : “I have no problem with any investigative body, investigating what has occurred with regards to any matter under the Ministry of Health either before or during the tenure under which I am and if I have to assist , I am willing to assist anyone who is part of the investigative team or the investigative I am willing to cooperate with investigations ".

“I welcome the investigations that the Minister wants to embark upon but while the investigations are ongoing, it is also important to see how quickly we can get the equipment out of the port. Let’s kick out the ambulances and let’s deal with what has gone wrong. Let it not be like a situation with the gallopers which were left for years to rust.”

“No contract was signed under my tenure. People keep forgetting that I was the Minister for eighteen months and there were seven Ministers over an eight year period so no contract or no financial arrangement was done under my tenure as Minister, ” he said.