The Ministry of Health has revealed that Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum has agreed to refund $2,470,000 paid by government to supply 300,000 doses of Sputnik Covid-19 vaccines.

This follows a letter to the Dubai-based businessman by Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu requesting the aforementioned amount be refunded due to the delivery of 20,000 Sputnik vaccines out of the expected 300,000 doses.

All these developments come at a time when the Minority in Parliament is demanding the immediate removal of Mr Agyeman-Manu from office after the ad-hoc Committee probing the agreement between the Ministry and Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum revealed that the constitutional provisions on prior Parliamentary approval and the Public Procurement Act were breached by the minister.

Tonight on PM Express, host, Aisha Ibrahim and her panelists, Minority Chief Whip Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, Martin Kpebu, a private legal practitioner and anti-graft campaigner, Vitus Azeem dialogued as to whether the refund of the money exonerates the Health Minister from all legal obligations.

Meanwhile, Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has taken a two-week leave according to sources at the presidency.