The third accused person in the ambulance case Richard Jakpa has said that the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge him and the first accused Dr Cassiel Ato Forson in the court has brought shame to his detractors.
He says he has always insisted on his innocence.
“My enemies and detractors have been put to shame, I have been vindicated, I have always said I am an innocent man and being persecuted,” he told journalists in Accra on Tuesday, July 30.
Richard Jakpa further expressed the view that there is a problem at the office of the Attorney-General that must be fixed immediately.
He called on stakeholders who want the democracy of the country protected to ensure that issues at the A-G’s department are addressed
He said “What I see is that we have a problem at Ministry of Justices and Attorney General.
“What I will entreat is to really check the character of who is appointed Attorney General of the country because if you want to protect our democracy and the rule of law you must be circumspect in who you appoint as your attorney general because he is number one enforcer of the law and all ethics of the legal system, he is the leader of that.”
The High Court had said it is not hearing the Ambulance case in the light of the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge the accused persons Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa.
The High Court was due to sit on Tuesday July 30 but on that same day, a Court of Appeal upheld an appeal on the Financial and Economic Court’s decision by Minority Leader and former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
The High Court in March 2023 ordered Dr Cassiel Ato Forson to open his defence after the Attorney General’s office established prima facie against the former deputy finance minister in the 2.37 million Euro ambulance case.
Two others, Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief of Director, Ministry of Health, and Richard Jakpa, a businessman, who were standing trial with Dr Forson were also directed to open defence.
Dr. Forson and the two have been variously charged with willfully causing financial loss to the state to the tune of 2.37 million Euros in the purchase of ambulances, which could not be used for their intended performance.
Lawyers of Dr Ato Forson filed a submission of no case after the prosecution closed its case but in its ruling on March 30, 2023, presiding judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare Botwe indicated that the accused persons should open their defence.
The Court of Appeal in its decision on July 30 indicated that the High Court’s decision should be set aside since “the prosecution failed to establish sufficient evidence. The trial judge erred in calling on A1(Dr Cassiel Ato Forson) to open his defence. No positively proven facts. Evidence based on Impermissible speculations. There is no link between the evidence heard and what happened for the third accused to be called to open defence.”
The panel of three justices also acquitted and discharged the accused persons in the case.
The court also noted in its decision that: “If there is any financial loss, that was based on the Health Ministry’s recklessness and be blamed on the Ministry of Health. If they worked in the interest of the state the whole ambulance would have been dealt with. Both appellants have made a case for them to be acquitted and discharged.”
SOURCE: 3news.com