The third accused in the ongoing ambulance procurement trial, Richard Jakpa, has asserted that the ambulances brought into the country were not defective.
According to him, the claims by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, are false.
He made this statement during his cross-examination by the prosecution in court on Tuesday, July 2.
Mr Jakpa also refuted the Attorney-General’s claim that the required vehicles were not supplied.
When asked about the letter written by then-Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia on August 10, 2015, which stated that Big Sea Company Ltd. had delivered 30 ambulances that did not meet specifications, the third accused said this was untrue.
He explained that the letter was no longer relevant because both the government and Big Sea had extensively addressed and resolved the issues mentioned in it.
“To quote a 2015 letter which has been dealt with is very, very irrelevant,” he said.
Mr Jakpa also dismissed claims that the first batch of ambulances arrived in 2014.
According to him, then-Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia quoted the wrong date for the arrival of the ambulances.
He stated that Big Sea had indicated the first batch of ambulances was expected by April 2015.
However, the Attorney-General contended that the first 10 ambulances arrived in December 2014 and could not be converted into ambulances because they were unsuitable.
Responding to this, Mr Jakpa said that was untrue.
He explained that, the ambulances were not fit for use because they were intended to be parked in a safe place for the installation of accessories and training of paramedics.
Mr Jakpa argued that the government cannot conduct a post-delivery inspection on ambulances that had not been officially handed over.
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