Court to rule on applications by Ato Forson, Jakpa …consider A-G’s affidavit in opposition

 The High Court in Accra, will rule on four applica­tions filed by Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Mr Richard Jakpa in the ongoing Euros 2.37 million ambulance trial.

The court will also consider the affidavit in opposition filed by the Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, against who the four applications were filed.

The applicants want the court to stay proceedings, conduct enquiry into the conduct of Mr Dame in the alleged audio record­ing between Mr Dame and the third accused, Mr Jakpa, in which the A-G was heard engaging in a conversation with Mr Jakpa.

Dr Forson, who is also seeking the court to end the ongoing prosecution against him, filed an affidavit in support of the motion filed by Mr Jakpa to give testimony on the audio recording between him (Jakpa) and Mr Dame and be cross-examined on it.

Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Bot­we, a Court of Appeal judge, sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge did not take oral arguments from counsel of the applicants, except an objection raised by Mr Thadeus Sory, counsel for Mr Jakpa.

Mr Sory had argued that the Principal State Attorney, who de­posed to the affidavit in opposition filed by the A-G on grounds that the deponent was not ceased with the information to depose to the affidavit.

He said the A-G’s affidavit which was filed on May 31, 2024, failed to disclose the source of the information in respect of the matters contained in the affidavit, specifically the matters relating to the third accused direct interactions with the A-G.

Mr Sory told the court that the averments of his client related to matters, which were not in the per­sonal knowledge of the Principal State Attorney and therefore, the deponent’s affidavit was in admissi­ble on grounds of hearsay.

However, the A-G said that the objection was completely unfound­ed and without any merit, arguing that it was not accurate for Mr Sory to say that the despondent did not disclose the source of information.

The A-G said that the depo­nent had indicated that the matters he referred to in the affidavit came to his knowledge in the course of his work.

The facts are that Dr Forson and the other accused allegedly breached the procurement law in the purchase of the ambulances.

Mr Dame, prosecuting, said that on August 7, 2014, Dr Forson wrote to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) “urgently requesting to establish the Letters of Credit for the supply of 50 ambulances amounting to €3,950,000, repre­senting 25 per cent of the contract sum, while arrangements were being made to perfect and sign the loan agreement in favour of Big Sea.”

He said on August 12, 2014, Dr Forson wrote to the Controller and Accountant-General authoris­ing the release of GH¢806,688.75 to the Minister of Health for the payment of bank charges covering the establishment of Letters of Credit (LCs) for the supply of 50 Mercedes Benz ambulances and related services.

 BY MALIK SULLEMANA

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