Ambulance case: Court summons former Minister of Health, two others to testify

An Accra High Court has summoned three witnesses to appear before it and testify in the ongoing case involving former Deputy Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, and two others. 

The witnesses are former Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia; former Controller and Accountant General, Seidu Kotomah, and a former Budget Director at the Health Ministry, Patrick Nimo. While Mr Segbefia and Mr Nimo are to appear at the court's next sitting on June 29, 2023, Mr. Kotomah is expected to appear on July 3, 2023. 

The orders of the court come as Lead Counsel for Mr. Forson, Dr. Basit Bamba, moved a motion under section 58 of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459), urging the court to issue a witness summons, after they failed to secure the attendance of a witness in court today to testify.  

Granting, the request, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe however noted that she would not hesitate to issue an arrest warrant if the witnesses fail to make the court appearance. 

“I am more than happy to issue a witness summons. If they don’t show up, then I issue a warrant of arrest.”

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and two others; Dr. Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director at the Ministry of Health, and businessman, Richard Jakpa have been charged by the state for causing financial loss, over the importation of 200 ambulances in a contract between the Ministry of Health and a Dubai-based company, Big Sea Limited in 2012.

The Attorney-General in his submissions (both orally and written) at previous court hearings has maintained that  Ato Forson and others standing trial have a case to answer for their role in importing ‘fake ambulances’ into the country. 

Witnesses the state had called in the course of the trial had also testified that Dr. Ato Forson acted without authorization when he instructed the Bank of Ghana to establish Letters of Credit which led to payments being made to Big Sea.

Particularly, Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, who testified in July 2022, told the court that the said contract between Big Sea and the Ministry of Health stipulated that the vehicles had to be delivered and prior inspection made before payment was made.

However, Dr. Forson’s lawyers have refuted the statements, insisting their client only acted on behalf of then-finance Minister Seth Terkper.