The third accused person in the ongoing ambulance purchase trial has alleged that Ghana’s former Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu informed him that the “New Patriotic Party (NPP) headquarters had taken over the ambulance case to give fresh contracts to party businessmen to enrich the party.”
Richard Jakpa made this claim on Thursday, June 13, while being cross-examined by lawyers for Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who is accused of causing financial loss to the state.
He stated that, he had approached Mr Agyemang-Manu at one point and presented letters from former Health Minister Alex Segbefia to persuade him to clear the ambulance accessories stuck at the port, as the contract implementation issues had been resolved and documented in the letter.
According to him, Mr Agyemang-Manu also told him that the ambulances imported by the current government were no different from the ones Big Sea brought into the country.
Mr Jakpa said that during his meetings with the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, he presented letters from the Ministry of Health, signed by Mr Segbefia, and from Big Sea, explaining that all disputes had been resolved, noting that the only remaining issue was for the Health Ministry to implement the addendum to save the government from any debt.
“And that there was no financial loss by anyone except his government that took over from 2017, and has refused to implement the addendum from the previous government.
“I told him if there was any financial loss by the time they implemented the addendum, that loss would have been occasioned by then Minister of Health, Agyeman-Manu. It was then he told me he was going to read all the documents and that I shouldn’t worry and I will be discharged at the submission of no case,” he said.
The third accused also claimed that allegations suggesting the ambulances were unfit for purpose were mischievous and deliberately orchestrated to sabotage the ambulance project initiated by the previous government.
He asserted that the refusal to clear the ambulance accessories at the port was a deliberate act of political convenience.
Mr Jakpa noted that Big Sea was ready to install the accessories, conduct training for paramedics, and hand over the ambulances to the government once the accessories were cleared at the port.
He explained, “As part of the contract, clearance of the accessories would have to be done by the government of Ghana as captured in clause 3. Big Sea has honoured clause 1 of the addendum, but GoG has refused to honour clause 3.”
He further added, “Clause 2 of the contract which has been read says Big Sea will send a technical team to Ghana when the equipment arrives for the installation of additional accessories, train the paramedics, and hand over to government for commissioning.”