The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam in the Central Region and a ranking member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson together with two other persons today appeared by a High Court in Accra charged with five counts of willfully causing financial loss to the state.
The facts of the case indicate that Ato Forson then a Deputy Minister of Finance executed a contract by the government of Ghana to buy some 200 ambulances for the National Ambulance Service.
The facts of the case which is currently being heard by the High Court, states that even though a medium term loan facility of € 15.8 million for the 200 ambulances, 10 out of the aforementioned number were only shipped to Ghana in the year 2014.
Portion of the facts before the court further state that, “A post-delivery inspection of the first batch of 10 ambulances revealed that same were without any medical equipment in them.”
According to the facts, other fundamental defects included defects on the body of the vehicles and the patient compartment of the ambulances.
The writ mentioned the other two accused persons as Sylvester Anemana, the then Chief Director at the Ministry of Health and one Richard Jakpa, the Ghana representative of Dubai-based Big Sea General Trading Limited.
The writ mentioned that Sylvester Anemana is being charged for abetment of crime to wit willfully causing financial loss to the state contrary to section 20 (1) 179A (3) (a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 and breaching the Public Procurement Act.
Richard Jakpa on the other hand is being charged for willfully causing financial loss to the state, “by intentionally causing vehicles purporting to be ambulances to be supplied to the Republic of Ghana by Big Sea General Trading Limited of Dubai without due cause.”
Ato Forson who is the first accused person according to the writ, has additionally been charged for intentionally misapplying public property contrary to section 1 (2) of the Public Property Protection Act, 1977.
The Member of Parliament is said to have misapplied €2.37 million by causing irrevocable Letters of Credit to be established against the budget of the Ministry of Health in favour of the Dubai-based company for the purchase of the said ambulances.
The charges preferred against the MP and two others were brought against them by the state.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE_compressed
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