Ato Forson gets Ghc 3m Bail for allegedly “causing Financial Loss to the State”

Former Deputy Finance Minister in the erstwhile Mahama government, Dr. Casiel Ato Forson, has been granted a GHC 3million bail in the case in which he is being prosecuted along with two others for allegedly causing financial loss to the State.

The bail was granted after the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament had pleaded not guilty to five counts of causing financial loss to the State.

Dr. Forson is being prosecuted together with two others – Sylvester Anemana, former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health and Richard Jakpa, a businessman – at the High Court in Accra.

According to the facts of the case, when he was the Deputy Minister of Finance, Ato Forson allegedly executed a contract by the government of Ghana to purchase some 200 ambulances for the National Ambulance Service.

A medium-term loan facility of €15.8 million for the 200 ambulances was granted. However, only 10 were shipped to Ghana in 2014.

“A post-delivery inspection of the first batch of 10 ambulances revealed that same were without any medical equipment in them. Other fundamental defects included defects on the body of the vehicles and the patient compartment of the ambulances,” the writ said.

Sylvester Anemana has been charged for abetment of crime namely wilfully causing financial loss to the state contrary to Sections 20(1) and 179A(3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 and breaching the Public Procurement Act; while Richard Jakpa, the Ghana representative of Dubai-based Big Sea General Trading Limited.

According to the State, Jakpa committed the crime “by intentionally causing vehicles purporting to be ambulances to be supplied to the Republic of Ghana by Big Sea General Trading Ltd of Dubai without due cause”.

Ato Forson, who is the first accused, has additionally been charged for intentionally misapplying public property contrary to section 1(2) of the Public Property Protection Act, 1977.

Allegedly, he misapplied €2.37 million by causing irrevocable Letters of Credit to be established against the budget of the Ministry of Health in favour of the Dubai-based firm.

But the Minority in Parliament has said the charges against the former Deputy Finance Minister are politically motivated.

Source: whatsupnewsghana