Prosecuting Ato Forson over ambulance contract is just a gamble — Bagbin

Ato Forson and two others are on trial for allegedly causing financial loss in the purchase of some ambulances during his time as Deputy Finance Minister.

The prosecution pointed out that the actions of the first accused, Dr. Ato Forson directly led to financial loss to the State in the purchase of the vehicles purporting to be ambulances.

By a letter dated August 7, 2014, signed by Dr. Ato Forson, the Bank of Ghana was urgently instructed to establish an irrevocable transferable Letter of Credit (LC) in the sum of EUR 3,950,000.00 in favour of Big Sea General Trading LLC. as payment for the ambulances to the Ministry of Health.

Alban Bagbin during a visit to the spouse and family of the late former Majority Leader in Parliament, Felix Owusu-Adjapong, said the prosecution of the Minority Leader is an act of political persecution.

Cassiel Ato Forson Pulse Ghana

He said "The Minority Leader is being persecuted,” Bagbin said, adding "On a number of occasions, he has been unable to join us in Parliament because he is appearing in court. As I speak to you, he is being tried.

"It is not that we don’t want the rule of law to apply, we all want it to apply. But where prosecution is just a gamble, I may win or I may not win but let me do it, I will not prescribe that for any politician. Because as a leader you always have to take the risk. You could get it right, you could get it catastrophically wrong."

However, a former Minister of Finance, Seth Terkper, has testified that he authorised his deputy, Dr. Ato Forson, to write to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and request that Letters of Credit (LCs) be set up in favour of Big Sea General Trading Ltd for the supply of the ambulances.

He made this known when he gave evidence-in-chief at the court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, a Court of Appeal judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, on Thursday, October 19, 2023.

Terkper said he approved the legal opinion from the Attorney-General and the Ministry's legal unit.