Ambulance case: I told A-G if there's any financial loss, it would be occasioned by his minister

Businessman Richard Jakpa stated that he informed Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame that the previous NDC government had resolved all issues surrounding the purchase of ambulances, leaving only its "implementation."

He pointed out to the AG that any financial loss incurred by the time they implemented the addendum would have been caused by the inaction of his then Minister of Health, Hon. Agyemang Manu, over the years.

Mr. Jakpa, a businessman, disclosed this in court during his cross-examination by lawyers representing Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the first accused person.

Dr. Ato Forson, the current minority leader in parliament, and businessman Richard Jakpa have been charged with willfully causing financial loss to the republic amounting to 2.37 million euros through the purchase of ambulances.

They have pleaded not guilty and are currently on trial.

In response to questions from Dr. Aziz Bamba during the cross-examination before the court, presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, Mr. Jakpa mentioned that he provided the minister with a letter from Alex Segbefia, the former Minister of Health.

"I presented him with a letter dated 20th February 2015, as well as a letter from the former Minister of Health, Hon. Alex Segbefia, who had nominated government officials to travel to Dubai to Big Sea for Dispute Resolution, leading to this addendum.

Furthermore, I forwarded to him the invitation letter from Big Sea to the government of Ghana, which prompted the nomination of personnel to Dubai, and I also provided him with the final addendum to the main contract resulting from the Dispute Resolution that took place in Dubai, outlining obligations for Big Sea and the government in implementing the addendum to the main contract.

These were the documents I submitted to him," he informed the court.

He explained that he provided these specific documents because he wanted the AG to understand that all the problems from the project's inception until the new NPP government took over had been resolved through the dispute resolution clause in the contract (i.e., Exhibit V), which led to the addendum signed by both parties. All that remained was for his government and the Minister of Health to implement the addendum to prevent any potential debt from arising and to clarify that there had been no financial loss except for the failure of his government, which took over in 2017, to implement the addendum from the previous government.

"I told him that any financial loss incurred by the time they implemented the addendum would have been due to his then Minister of Health, Hon. Agyemang Manu, for all these years."

"It was then that he assured me he would review all these documents and that I should not worry, as I would surely be discharged at the submission of no case," he stated.

In response to a question from Dr. Aziz Bamba regarding the court's ruling on the submission of no case and its ruling on June 6, 2024, which stated that the ambulances, as delivered, could not serve any useful purpose, Mr. Jakpa disagreed.

Counsel asked Mr. Jakpa whether, under the terms of the contract, the ambulances were to be handed over to the Ministry of Health to be used as such.

In response, Mr. Jakpa said, "According to the contract, letters of credit (LC) were supposed to have been established immediately upon signing the contract, but the government of Ghana reneged and breached the terms."