The largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame and the ruling NPP government of deliberately plotting to jail Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson.
General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday said Godfred Dame “is not interested in justice, rather just jailing somebody. Torchbearer of injustice . . . he is hell-bent on securing incarceration of the Minority Leader unjustly”.
According to him, “the Akufo-Addo government has been persecuting the Minority Leader over the purchase of an ambulance. This is political witch-hunting and persecution”.
“In the context of repeated falsehood, deliberate misinformation, and distortion churned out by Godfred Dame and NPP propagandists, we are compelled to correct certain misconceptions about the transaction. It will be irresponsible on us to sit aloof and allow the deliberate misinformation to fester,” he added.
Background
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and businessman Richard Jakpa have been accused of 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 have pleaded not guilty to willfully causing financial loss to the state, abetment to wilfully causing financial loss to the state, contravention of the Public Procurement Act and intentionally misapplying public property.
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 ambulance specifications and therefore “not fit for purpose”.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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