The Minority in Parliament has celebrated the legal victory of their leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson in the ambulance case at the Court of Appeal.
Tamale South Member of Parliament Haruna Iddrisu said the victory was worth celebrating and further told Attorney-General Godfred Dame that he would be defeated again if he went ahead to appeal the Court of Appeal ruling that acquitted and discharged the accused persons.
The former Minority Leader described the Court of Appeal’s decision as courageous and independent.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday July 30, he said “The court of appeal upheld that the decision by the High Court for him to proceed with submission of his case had no legal basis
“I hear the A-G instead of swallowing his humble pie is saying that he wants to litigate this matter. We assure him that he will be further disgraced. If you want to try people, try them on matters that are legally meritorious. The Minority is celebrating the independent courageous decision of the Court of Appeal.”
The Office of the Attorney-General has served notice to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal in acquitting and discharging the accused persons in the ambulance trial.
The A-G office says it considers the decision of the Court of Appeal grossly unfair to the nation and inimical to the fight against impunity and abuse in public office.
The A-G in its response to the ruling of the Court of Appeal said “On 30th July, 2024, the Court of Appeal by a split 2–1 decision, allowed an appeal against the ruling of the High Court, Accra dated 30th March, 2023, dismissing a submission of no case filed by the accused persons and ordering them to open their defence. The Office of the Attorney-General considers the decision of the Court of Appeal to be perverse in the quest for public accountability and the rule of law. The decision clearly is heavily against the weight of the cogent evidence led by the prosecution in substantiation of all the charges against the accused persons at the trial.
“Such was the fundamental nature of the defects that a former Minister for Health, Dr Alex Segbefia described the vehicles as ‘ordinary vans’ not fit for purpose. In point of fact, a report on the vehicles by the authorised dealers in Mercedes Benz, commissioned by the Ministry of Health in 2015 to assess the vehicles (tendered in evidence by the prosecution), stated that the vehicles could never be converted into ambulances. The defects were so irremediable that from the time the vehicles started arriving in December, 2014 up to January, 2017 when the erstwhile John Mahama administration left office, they could not be converted into ambulances.
The High Court had said it is not hearing the Ambulance case in the light of the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge the accused persons Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa.
The High Court was due to sit on Tuesday July 30 but on that same day, a Court of Appeal upheld an appeal on the Financial and Economic Court’s decision by Minority Leader and former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
Two others, Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief of Director, Ministry of Health, and Richard Jakpa, a businessman, who were standing trial with Dr Forson were also directed to open defence.
Dr. Forson and the two have been variously charged with willfully causing financial loss to the state to the tune of 2.37 million Euros in the purchase of ambulances, which could not be used for their intended performance.
The panel of three justices also acquitted and discharged the accused persons in the case.
Source: 3news.com
