Cassiel Ato Forson, a former Deputy Finance Minister, and two others have been charged with causing financial loss to the state.
Cassiel Ato Forson, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health; Sylvester Anemana; and businessman Richard Jakpa are accused of costing the state €2.37 million in a deal to purchase 200 ambulances for the country between 2014 and 2016.
Richard Jakpa is said to have used his company, Jakpa at Business, to present a proposal and term loan to the Ministry of Health in order to finance the government’s purchase of 200 ambulances.
According to the AG, Cabinet later approved an Executive approval for the project.
The Attorney-General has charged the three with wilfully causing financial loss to the state, abetment to wilfully cause financial loss to the state, contravention of the Public Procurement Act, and intentionally misapplying public property in the Accra High Court.
The country lost $2.4 million after the Ministry of Health purchased 30 ambulances in 2014 that were later discovered to be defective.
The government canceled a deal to buy 200 ambulances after the ones that were delivered did not meet the required specifications.
Mr. Forson had previously stated that at the time, the Finance Ministry only “issued at sight letters of credit” on behalf of the Health Ministry after they had made a request.
“The Ministry of Finance also instructed the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to pay for the bank charges accrued to the Bank of Ghana as a result of the issuance of letters of credit on behalf of the Ministry of Health,” Mr Forson said.
