Big Sea Trading LLC, the private company that sold ambulances to the Ghanaian government, has offered to refund €2 million to the state in order to end the prosecution of Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson, former director of the Ministry of Health, Sylvester Anemana, and businessman Richard Jakpa.
The three individuals are currently standing trial for their roles in the purchase of defective ambulances that resulted in a loss of €2.37 million to the state.
The ongoing trial poses a significant risk to Big Sea's reputation, and the company has offered to pay €500,000 upfront and the remaining €1.5 million within six months to settle the case.
In return, Big Sea is requesting that the state release the 30 ambulances to the company and discontinue the case against the accused persons. However, sources close to the negotiations have revealed that the Attorney General's Office has rejected the offer.
Despite this rejection, lawyers for Richard Jakpa have written to the Attorney General's Office to explain that Big Sea made the offer to him, and he is forwarding the proposal for the Attorney General's consideration.
They have also brought the proposal to the attention of the other accused persons and asked for their support for the settlement process.
While it is not clear if the offer is being made under Section 35 of the Courts Act 1993, which allows individuals standing trial for economic loss to the state to admit to the offense and offer compensation, Big Sea is keen to settle the case and preserve its relationship with Ghana.
The company believes that settling the case will help it advance its business interests in the country. The case against Dr. Ato Forson, Sylvester Anemana, and Richard Jakpa has been ongoing, with all three individuals pleading not guilty to the charges against them.
The court has already directed that they open their defense, as the minimum threshold required for them to answer to the case has been met.
In conclusion, Big Sea Trading LLC's offer to refund €2 million to the state presents an opportunity for the case against the accused individuals to be settled. While the offer has been rejected by the Attorney General's Office, negotiations are ongoing, and it remains to be seen how the case will be resolved.
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