The
third
accused
in
the
ongoing
ambulance
procurement
trial,
Mr
Richard
Jakpa,
on
Tuesday
told
the
High
Court
in
Accra
that
the
ambulances
supplied
to
the
Government
of
Ghana
were
fit
for
purpose.
Mr
Jakpa
is
standing
trial
together
with
the
Minority
Leader,
Dr
Cassiel
Ato,
for
causing
€2.37
million
financial
loss
to
the
state
in
the
purchase
of
ambulances.
The
third
accused
said
during
cross-examination
that
Big
Sea,
the
Dubai
Company
that
supplied
the
ambulances,
carefully
designed
the
medical
buses
to
meet
the
government
specification.
Mr
Jakpa,
businessman
and
representative
of
the
company,
told
the
court,
presided
over
by
Justice
Afia
Serwah
Asare-Botwe,
that
government
was
to
blame
for
not
clearing
the
ambulances,
which
were
delivered.
He
said
the
allegation
that
he
received
about
50
per
cent
of
payment
for
the
ambulances,
was
unfounded,
and
that
Big
Sea
was
burdened
by
delays
from
the
government,
although
the
company
fulfilled
its
side
of
the
bargain
to
supply
the
ambulances.
In
a
related
development,
the
Chief
Justice,
Justice
Gertrude
Araba
Esaaba
Sackey
Torkornoo
has
ordered
that
proceedings
be
conducted
virtually.
Meanwhile,
the
prosecution,
led
by
the
Attorney-General
(A-G)
and
Minister
of
Justice,
Mr
Godfred
Yeboah
Dame,
ended
cross-examination
of
the
accused.
Dr
Forson
and
Mr
Jakpa
have
been
accused
of
causing
financial
loss
of
€2.37
million
to
the
state
in
a
deal
to
purchase
200
ambulances
for
the
country
between
2014
and
2016.
They
pleaded
not
guilty
to
counts
of
willfully
causing
financial
loss
to
the
state,
abetment
to
wilfully
causing
financial
loss
to
the
state,
contravention
of
the
Public
Procurement
Act
and
intentionally
misapplying
public
property.
According
to
the
A-G,
in
2009,
while
delivering
the
State
of
the
Nation
Address,
the
then
President,
Prof.
John
Evans
Atta
Mills,
indicated
that
new
ambulances
would
be
purchased
to
expand
the
operations
of
the
National
Ambulance
Service.
Jakpa,
who
is
a
local
representative
of
Big
Sea
General
Trading
Limited,
a
company
based
in
Dubai,
approached
the
Ministry
of
Health
with
a
proposal
that
he
had
arranged
for
finance
from
Stanbic
Bank
for
the
supply
of
200
ambulances
to
the
government.
Parliament
approved
the
financing
agreement
between
the
government
and
Stanbic
Bank.
According
to
the
facts,
on
November
19,
2012,
Dr
Anemana
wrote
to
the
Public
Procurement
Authority
(PPA)
seeking
approval
to
engage
Big
Sea
through
single
sourcing
for
the
supply
of
the
200
ambulances.
They
added
that
on
August
7,
2014,
Dr
Forson
wrote
to
the
Bank
of
Ghana
for
letters
of
credit
covering
€3.95
million
for
the
supply
of
50
ambulances
in
favour
of
Big
Sea.
The
letters
of
credit
were
accordingly
released
to
Big
Sea.
The
facts
said
30
ambulances
were
purchased
at
a
sum
of
€2.37
million
but
all
were
found
not
to
have
met
ambulance
specifications
and
therefore
“not
fit
for
purpose.”
BY
MALIK
SULLEMANA