The Ato Forson ambulance case - All you need to know

Graphic.com.gh May - 29 - 2024 , 12:45 3 minutes read

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, is the Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Essiam constituency in the Central Region. He is a former deputy Minister of Finance and the current Minority Leader in Parliament. He is facing trial with another person for allegedly causing a €2.37 million financial loss to the state over an ambulance deal.

Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has been the MP for Ajumako Enyan Essiam constituency since January 7, 2009.

He is a native of Ajumako Bisease in the Central Region and a staunch member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a ticket on which he is in Parliament and currently serving as the Minority Leader.

While serving as a deputy Finance Minister, a position he held from 2013 to January 2017, the government decided to go into an ambulance deal with Big Sea, to procure ambulances for the health sector of Ghana.

It is based on that deal that he is currently facing trial.

Background of the case in court

Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa, who is a representative for Big Sea have been accused of causing a 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 counts of wilfully 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 Attorney-General’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.

Richard 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, a former Director of the Ministry of Health 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 Cassiel Ato Forson, as deputy Minister of Finance 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.”

Charges

They have, however, pleaded not guilty to five counts of willfully causing financial loss to the state, abetment to willfully cause financial loss to the state, contravention of the Public Procurement Act and intentionally misapplying public property.