The Minority in Parliament has rejected claims that the contractor working on the Afari Military Hospital is demanding US$85 million to complete the project, insisting instead that only US$500,000 remains outstanding.
At a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday (16 June), the Deputy Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, described the figure cited by Deputy Defence Minister Ernest Brogya Genfi as inaccurate and misleading.
“The Deputy Minister’s assertion that Euroget De-Invest is demanding US$85 million before returning to site is a manufactured crisis,” Amankwa-Manu said, adding that no records at the Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Defence supported the claim.
He said financial data on the project showed that the original US$180 million contract had been fully paid, along with an additional US$19.3 million agreed to cover delays linked to project relocation decisions.
According to him, a further claim of about US$3 million — reduced from more than US$6.5 million — had largely been settled, leaving only US$500,000 outstanding.
“To jump from an outstanding balance of US$500,000 to a sudden demand of US$85 million is not just mathematically absurd; it is criminal,” he said.
Amankwa-Manu also cautioned against any attempt to approve what he described as an inflated claim, urging government to prioritise accountability and value for money in the completion of the project.
Source: asaaseradio.com
