A former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency in the Central Region, has revealed that he is unbothered about the state’s financial loss suit leveled against him and two others.
Dr. Ato Forson calmed people about the development and noted that there is no reason to fear over the situation, and that he will speak to the press about it today, Friday, December 24, 2021.
Dr. Forson, Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, and Richard Jakpa, a businessman, are accused of defrauding the state of €2.37 million in a deal to buy 200 ambulances for the country between 2014 and 2016.
Richard Jakpa’s firm, ‘Jakpa at Business’, is alleged to have presented a proposal and term loan to the Ministry of Health to fund the purchase of 200 ambulances for the government.
the Attorney General alleged that the country lost $2.4 million after the Ministry of Health purchased 30 ambulances in 2014 that were later discovered to be defective. The government halted the purchase of 200 ambulances after the ones that had been delivered failed to fulfill the required criteria.
Dr. Forson had previously indicated that, at the time, the Finance Ministry “only issued at sight letters of credit” on behalf of the Health Ministry once they had made a request.
“The Ministry of Finance also instructed the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to pay for the bank charges accrued to the Bank of Ghana as a result of the issuance of letters of credit on behalf of the Ministry of Health.”
Forson
The Attorney-General therefore has charged the three with deliberately causing financial loss to the state, abetment to willfully cause financial loss to the state, breach of the Public Procurement Act, and deliberately misapplying public property in the Accra High Court.
The Lawsuit
The Attorney General mentioned in a letter that by a joint memorandum dated April 30, 2012, the Ministers of Finance and Health, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor and Alban S. K. Bagbin, requested parliamentary approval for the supply of 200 ambulances at a cost of €15,800,000.00 to be paid out of a credit arrangement between Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited and the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Finance.
However, the role of Big Sea General Trading Limited (Big Sea), Dubai, UAE, or the agents for Big Sea, Jakpa at Business Limited in the transaction was not mentioned in this memorandum to Parliament even though they were involved in the trade.
the Attorney General mentioned that the memorandum presented to parliament at that time didn’t mention the circumstances under which the ambulances would be purchased or the terms under which the two companies engaged in the transaction would work together. Parliament approved the funding arrangement between the Government of Ghana and Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited for the purchase of 200 ambulances on November 1, 2012.
Mr. Dame further stated that the second accused individual, who was then the Chief Director at the Ministry of Health, requested clearance from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to engage Big Sea through a single-sourcing procedure for the provision of 200 ambulances in a letter dated November 19, 2012. The memorandum presented stated incorrectly that the single-sourcing was necessary since Big Sea had secured funds for the project.
The Attorney General concluded that if the accused are found guilty, they would be prosecuted and dealt with accordingly without any prejudice or personal attachment.
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