Ambulance trial: A-G caused financial loss to the state by rejecting Jakpa's €2m plea bargain - Economist

US-based Ghanaian economist, Dr. Sa-ad Iddrisu, has accused the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, of causing financial loss to the state for his refusal to accept a plea bargain in the ongoing ambulance trial involving former deputy finance minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and businessman, Richard Jakpa.

According to him, considering the fact that the economy is in a wobbling state, Godfred Dame was supposed to have accepted Richard Jakpa's €2 million plea bargain.

He stated that the Attorney General could have applied a risk premium of 5.5% to 20% to ensure Ghana gains a favourable payoff.

Dr. Iddrisu stressed that the Attorney General could have imposed interest charges to mitigate the financial impact on the state.

In a post sighted by GhanaWeb Business, the economist said, "Considering the country's economic crisis and urgent need for funds to revive the economy, A-G Godfred Dame should have accepted Richard Jakpa's €2 million plea bargain for an alleged financial loss of less than €4 million."

"He could have even applied a risk premium of 5.5% to 20% to the premium to ensure Ghana gains a favourable payoff. The judge should consider his refusal to accept the plea bargain as also causing financial loss to the state because plea bargaining is recognized within Ghana's legal framework," Dr. Sa-ad Iddrisu added.

Highlighting the legal precedent of plea bargaining within Ghana's judicial framework, Dr. Iddrisu urged the judiciary to consider the broader implications of rejecting such offers.

He emphasized that the refusal to engage in plea bargaining not only affects individual cases but also has wider ramifications for the nation's financial stability.

This response is against the backdrop of Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, who recently released the full details of plea bargain letters sent to his office by the third accused, Richard Jakpa, in the ongoing ambulance purchase case.

This action comes after Jakpa claimed in open court that Godfred Dame approached him multiple times, seeking his assistance to implicate the first accused.

Dismissing Jakpa’s claims, the Attorney General insisted that Jakpa had actually sent several letters requesting a plea bargain to drop all charges against the accused.

The trial itself stems from events dating back to 2017 when Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, initiated an investigation into 30 ambulances procured by the John Mahama government.

Despite the significant expenditure of approximately €2.4 million, these vehicles were deemed unsuitable for their intended purpose.

Agyemang-Manu described the ambulances as "sprinter buses fitted with kitchen panels," which underscored the magnitude of the misstep.

SA/MA