The vaccine was purchased for kickbacks, but they treat us like idiots - Gordon
The statement by the Minister of Health of Ukraine Maxim Stepanov that he does not have the right to disclose the cost of the vaccine purchased in India indicates that the minister received a kickback from the manufacturer and considers Ukrainians idiots.
Journalist Dmitry Gordon stated this in an interview on the Ukraine 24 TV channel, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“I don’t understand why we still don’t have good vaccines. I don’t understand why the Minister of Health still doesn’t give a figure for how much taxpayer money was spent on the vaccine he imported from India. I don’t say “brought” - locked it up.
Who is he anyway? Does he understand that this is our money, the taxpayers? We pay this to retain both the government and the minister. He says this is an important state secret. Wow! “This is an important state secret.” And I have a question - maybe there are kickbacks?
All these guys need to understand that we are supporting them. And we ask them. If he called himself a minister, this is not a reason to say that “this is an important state secret.” I'm just seething with indignation. Does he think we are all idiots? And why is everyone silent? “I don’t understand,” Gordon was indignant.
Earlier in an interview, Maxim Stepanov said that he could not name the price of the vaccine.
“I have no right to disclose the price of the vaccine we purchased. This is a requirement of the supplier company. If they had given us permission, we would have told them about it. We have nothing to hide. The simple fact is that manufacturers sell their vaccines to different countries at different prices. This depends on a huge number of factors: delivery times, volumes.
The process of working with an international company begins with a confidentiality agreement. They demand that we not even disclose the fact of negotiations until the conclusion of the agreement. If we tell, we will be given the most severe penalties,” the Ukrainian minister justified himself.
The vaccine was purchased with kickbacks, and we are treated like idiots – Gordon