The Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has expressed his gratitude to God after the Court of Appeal acquitted and discharged him in the ongoing ambulance case.
This decision, delivered on Tuesday, July 30, also acquitted Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the case.
The 2:1 ruling overturned the previous order from the trial court, which had required Dr. Ato Forson and Mr. Jakpa to present their defense.
In a social media post, Dr. Ato Forson thanked God for his victory and quoted Romans 9:14: “What, then, shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!”
The charges against Dr. Ato Forson and Mr. Jakpa involved allegations of causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the State in a deal to procure ambulances for the Government of Ghana.
The Court of Appeal’s decision overturned the directive from Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe of the trial court, which had dismissed Dr. Ato Forson’s submission of no case and ordered him to open his defense.
Dr. Ato Forson had argued that there was no case for him to answer, but this submission was initially rejected by the trial judge.
Mr. Jakpa also submitted a no-case plea, which was similarly rejected, leading him to call several witnesses in his defense.
With the Court of Appeal’s ruling, Dr. Ato Forson is no longer required to open his defense in the ongoing trial, marking a significant development in the case.
The allegations against Dr. Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa, who represents Big Sea, stem from a deal to purchase 200 ambulances for Ghana between 2014 and 2016, which allegedly caused a financial loss of €2.37 million to the State.
The trial at the High Court is set to resume Tuesday afternoon, where the decision of the Court of Appeal will be officially presented.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General has announced plans to appeal the Court of Appeal’s ruling.
Ambulance trial: AG vows to appeal against ‘erroneous decision’
