Court Sets Judgment Date In Ato Forson Ambulance Trial

Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, the Judge presiding over the Dr. Ato Forson Ambulance trial has set a date for the final Judgment.

Although the trial is yet to conclude, the judge said she will try and finish the case by the end of the year 31st December 2023.

The judge also added the date she will deliver judgment.

“We will try and finish this case by December 31, and we come back in February 2024 for judgment,” She said in court on Thursday, November 16th.

Dr. Ato Forson is on trial for allegedly causing financial loss to the state in the procurement of some ambulances from Dubai.

Earlier, Seth Terkper, Minister of Finance said he authorised Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson to set up the letters of credit against the budget allocation of the Ministry of Health for the purchase of the Ambulances.

“The letter to the Bank of Ghana requesting the setting up of the LC [letters of credit] emanated from the Ministry of Finance and had my full authorization,” Mr. Terkper told the court.

Per the A-G’s facts accompanying the charge sheet, in 2009, while delivering the State of the Nation Address, the then President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, indicated that new ambulances would be purchased to expand the operations of the National Ambulance Service.

Jakpa, who is a local representative of Big Sea General Trading Limited, a company based in Dubai, subsequently approached the Ministry of Health with a proposal that he had arranged for finance from Stanbic Bank for the supply of 200 ambulances to the government.

Parliament approved the financing agreement between the government and Stanbic Bank.

According to the facts, on November 19, 2012, Dr Anemana wrote to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) seeking approval to engage Big Sea through single sourcing for the supply of the 200 ambulances.

They added that on August 7, 2014, Dr. Forson wrote to the Bank of Ghana for letters of credit covering €3.95 million for the supply of 50 ambulances in favour of Big Sea.

The letters of credit were accordingly released to Big Sea.

The facts said 30 ambulances were purchased at a sum of €2.37 million, but all were found not to have met the ambulance specifications and “not fit for purpose”.

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