Dr. Ato Forson, the Minority Leader in Parliament, has replied to the Accra Appeals Court’s decision to clear him of all charges and release him from the ambulance procurement trial.
The court decision, which was made on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, brought an end to a well-known trial that had garnered years of national attention.
In a post on X after the ruling, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency quoted Romans 9:14 to express his relief: “Romans 9:14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!”
Known as the “ambulance scandal,” the issue began in 2015 when the Ministry of Health, under the direction of then-Health Minister Alex Segbefia, launched a contract to buy 200 ambulances to improve emergency medical services around the country.
Dr. Ato Forson, who was then the Deputy Minister of Finance, was accused of authorizing the payment for ambulances that were allegedly defective and unfit for purpose.
The charges against him included causing financial loss to the state and wilfully misapplying public property. The prosecution argued that his actions resulted in the government paying over €2.3 million for substandard ambulances.
The trial, which began in 2019, involved numerous witnesses, including government officials and expert testimonies, who scrutinized the procurement process and the condition of the delivered ambulances.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal has set timelines to hear a request from Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa, challenging the High Court’s order to open their defense in the ongoing ambulance case