Di court of appeal for Ghana don acquit and discharge former deputy finance minister wey bin dey face prosecution for allegedly “causing financial loss to di state”.
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and two odas bin dey stand trial ova di procurement of 200 ambulances for 2014.
Di former deputy finance minister, Richard Jakpa wey be businessman and Seth Anemana of di health ministry, dey accused of “wilfully causing financial loss of €2.37 million to di state” through di ambulance purchase contract.
Di two don chop accuse of “abetment to willfully causing financial loss to di state and contravention of di public procurement act”.
Dem also dey accused of “intentionally misapplying public property” ova di ambulance deal.
According to di state, some of di ambulances wey dem buy neva dey fit for purpose sake of say dem no meet wetin standard ambulance suppose be.
Dr Casiel Ato Forson don deny any wrongdoing for dis mata as im tok say im only act on express instruction of im boss, di finance minister, wey approve di transaction at di time.
Di case begin for 2022.
But for March 2023, one high court bin order say make di former deputy finance minister and di two odas, open dia defence.
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Lawyers for di former minister afta dis High Court decision file submission of no case afta di state close dia case – na so di presiding Judge, Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, on 30 March 2023, tok say make di three accused pesins open dia defence.
Di case don travel small small wey di accused pesins open dia case, wia di state call witnesses.
During di cross-examination, one of di witnesses, Richard Jakpa submit one 16-minute phone recording of conversation im and di Attorney General bin allegedly get ova di mata.
Inside di tape, di Attorney General allegedly try to convince am to “fabricate evidence” against di former deputy finance minister, Casiel Ato Forson.
Di Attorney General also bin introduce one letter from di Ghana armed forces wey bin tok say di service “sack Richard Jakpa, di accused pesin from di military sake of im get bad conduct.”
Di court during di public trial also bin invite officials of di Ghana armed forces wey dey explain say di businessman don leave di military sake of “im get no interest for di service.”
Court of Appeal ruling
But on 30 July, di Court of Appeal deliver dia judgement wia dem acquit and discharge di former deputy finance minister.
Di Court of Appeal set aside di March 2023 High Court decision say make di accused pesins open dia defence, “since di prosecution fail to establish sufficient evidence”.
“Di trial judge don commit error as im call di first accused pesin – di former deputy finance minister Dr Ato Forson say make im open im defence, wit no proven facts,” di Appeal Court tok.
Di court by 2-1 majority decision also add say “di evidence di prosecution give bin base on impermissible speculation, wia no link dey between wetin evidence di state don give and wetin happun for di mata” to allow make di former deputy minister open im defence.
Di court also tok inside dia decision say “if any financial loss don happun, na di recklessness of di health ministry, wey dem for take responsibility.”
Di court add say “both appellants – Dr Casiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa bin make a case say make di court acquit and discharge dem.”.
Na so di panel of three judges don acquit and discharge di accused pesins for dis case.
Wetin happun afta di Court of Appeal ruling
Afta di court of appeal don acquit and discharge di former deputy finance minister and di businessman Richard Jakpa, di High Court wey bin dey handle di mata no continue to hear di mata.
Di High Court bin dey scheduled to continue to sit for di mata on Tuesday 30 July, but afta di Appeal Court ruling earlier, di High Court tok say dem no go sit on di mata.
For one of di lawyers for di accused pesins, Edudzi Tameklo, d i Court of Appeal ruling to uphold dia submission of “no case” against di former minister mean say di entire trial for di high court dey aborted.
If di state thru di Attorney General decide say dem go contest or appeal di ruling of di Court of Appeal, dem for go di Supreme Court, di highest court for di kontri.
And if di Supreme Court still uphold di “no case” submission wey di Attorney General and di state still no dey satisfied, dem fit to file for review of di Supreme Court decision.
For one statement, di Attorney General tok say dey find di decison as “grossly unfair to di nation and dey inimical to di fight against impunity and abuse of office.”
Di Attorney General add say “Di office go promptly file appeal in order to erase di effect of dis erroneous decision of di court of appeal.”
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