Renowned Ghanaian broadcast journalist and academic with Ahenfie TV/FM, Dr Nana Kwadwo Jantuah, has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Attorney-General to investigate alleged financial irregularities in the management of COVID-19 funds during the tenure of former Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu.
In a petition dated October 28, 2026, Dr Jantuah called for a public update on investigations into COVID-19-related expenditures, the recovery of funds allegedly unaccounted for and the prosecution of any persons found culpable.
The petition raises concerns about the procurement of Sputnik V vaccines, payments to UNICEF and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), broader pandemic-related expenditure and the contract awarded to Frontiers Healthcare Services for mandatory COVID-19 testing at Kotoka International Airport.
Dr Jantuah said the petition is intended to promote transparency, accountability and the protection of public funds following the substantial financial commitments made by Ghana during the pandemic.
He cited the Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee’s report on the Sputnik V vaccine procurement in 2021 and the Auditor-General’s 2022 report as key references for the concerns outlined in the petition.
A major issue raised by Dr Jantuah concerns the procurement of 300,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines through Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum.
According to the petition, the Ministry of Health, under Mr Agyeman-Manu, entered into an arrangement to procure the vaccines at $19 per dose, compared with an indicated ex-factory price of $10.
Dr Jantuah alleged that the transaction proceeded without the requisite Cabinet, parliamentary and Public Procurement Authority approvals.
He further stated that approximately $2.85 million, equivalent to about GH¢16 million at the time, was paid under the arrangement, but the majority of the expected vaccine doses were not delivered.
The petition noted that a refund of $2.47 million was subsequently announced.
Dr Jantuah is asking the relevant authorities to establish whether the refund was fully received and credited to the Consolidated Fund.
He has also called for documentary evidence of the payment to be made public to enable citizens to ascertain whether the money has been recovered.
The petitioner wants the authorities to clarify the status of the transaction and determine whether any outstanding amount remains due to the state.
The petition also raises questions about payments reportedly made by the Ministry of Health to UNICEF and AVAT for COVID-19 vaccines.
Citing the Auditor-General’s 2022 report, Dr Jantuah stated that approximately $120.19 million was paid to UNICEF/AVAT, while vaccines valued at about $38.32 million were received.
He identified the difference of approximately $81.87 million as requiring a detailed explanation and reconciliation.
The petitioner is urging the OSP, PAC and Attorney-General to investigate the variance, establish whether it resulted from outstanding vaccine deliveries or other legitimate contractual arrangements, and recover any amount found not to be justified.
He is also seeking a comprehensive account of the payments, including records of deliveries, contractual obligations and any outstanding balances.
The petition, however, does not establish that the entire variance represents a financial loss or that the funds were misappropriated. The requested investigation is intended to determine the circumstances surrounding the payments and whether any money is recoverable.
Dr Jantuah has further called for a comprehensive accounting of approximately GH¢12.4 billion in COVID-19-related funds and procurements that he says were flagged by the Centre for Development and Accountability (CDA) and the Auditor-General over transparency and accountability concerns.
He wants the relevant authorities to provide a detailed breakdown of the expenditure, explain transactions that have been questioned and identify any amounts that cannot be adequately accounted for.
The petitioner is also seeking clarification on whether the funds were spent in accordance with applicable procurement and public financial management laws.
His demand comes amid public interest in the use of resources mobilised to support Ghana’s response to the pandemic, including revenue raised through public financing measures such as the COVID-19 levy.
Dr Jantuah maintains that a detailed accounting of the expenditure is necessary to assure citizens that public resources committed during the health emergency were managed in accordance with the law.
The petition also calls for an investigation into the contract awarded to Frontiers Healthcare Services to conduct mandatory COVID-19 testing for travellers arriving at Kotoka International Airport.
Dr Jantuah stated that the private company generated approximately $80.6 million in revenue under the arrangement, which he described as having questionable procurement circumstances.
He is asking the relevant institutions to examine how the contract was awarded, the terms governing the testing services and the financial arrangements associated with the operation.
The petitioner wants the authorities to establish whether the procurement process complied with applicable laws and whether any financial or administrative wrongdoing occurred.
He has called for appropriate action where breaches are established.
Beyond seeking explanations for the transactions, Dr Jantuah wants the OSP, PAC and Attorney-General to provide a public update on the status of investigations into the matters raised.
He is asking the institutions to disclose the progress made, identify any outstanding investigative steps and clarify whether the cases have resulted in prosecutions or the recovery of public funds.
The petitioner has called for the prosecution of Mr Agyeman-Manu and any other persons found culpable if investigations establish evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
The offences he wants considered include procurement breaches, corruption-related offences and wilfully causing financial loss to the state.
He has also urged the authorities to recover all public funds found to have been improperly paid or remain unaccounted for and apply the appropriate sanctions under the Public Financial Management Act and other relevant laws.
In the concluding section of the petition, Dr Jantuah highlighted the human and economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that Ghanaians lost lives, livelihoods and income during the emergency.
He argued that the scale of public expenditure during the period made transparency and accountability essential, particularly given the financial sacrifices citizens made to support the country’s response.
“To allow unaccounted billions to go unanswered is to betray the Constitution and the people of Ghana,” he stated.
Dr Jantuah said he trust the relevant institutions to exercise their respective mandates to investigate the concerns, establish the facts and take appropriate action where wrongdoing is identified.
By 1960news.com
