Ambulance Trial: Ato Forson Pleaded For Trial Discontinuation- A-G

The Office of the Attorney-General says the Minority Leader in Parliament and the first accused in the Ambulance trial, Cassiel Atto Forson has sought to dissuade Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, against carrying on with the trial.

This, the Office said, can be supported with a video evidence of the visit and is one of the cunning moves the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) seeks to use to cause him to discontinue the case.

A press statement released by the Office on May 23, 2024 following the third accused’s disclosure that the A-G has been impressing on him to implicate to secure conviction for the first accused, Cassiel Ato Forson read, “The Attorney-General has also come under enormous pressure from all manner of persons for him to discontinue the prosecution of the 1st accused person, Cassiel Ato Forson, but has not yielded.”

“The Attorney-General has video evidence of the first accused, person, Cassiel Ato Forson, coming to meet him and to plead with him to discontinue the prosecution. This, the Attorney-General has refused to do,” it added.

Allegation
In court on May 23 when the third accused, Richard Jakpa in the ambulance trial mounted the witness box to defend himself, he said the A-G has been impressing on him to implicate the first accused who is the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson.

“The A-G has on several occasions engaged me at odd hours to help him make a case against A1 and I have evidence for that…If he pushes me, I will open the Pandora’s box. I don’t understand why the A-G will accuse me of defending A1 when I’m here to defend myself. If he pushes me, I’ll open the Pandora’s box. I have evidence to all this.”

NDC Reaction
In response to the allegation, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia said they were “scandalized” by the revelation.

To them, the development proves the A-G’s lack of integrity and quest to “manipulate judicial processes to unjustly victimise political opponents for cheap political goal-scoring”.

Trial
The Minority Leader and former deputy Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson is standing trial with Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, and Richard Jakpa, a businessman, for allegedly causing financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in a deal to purchase 200 ambulances for the country between 2014 and 2016.

They are facing five counts of willfully causing financial loss to the state, abetment to willfully cause financial loss to the state, contravention of the Public Procurement Act and intentionally misapplying public property.

They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.