Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, a former deputy minister of finance, and two other people are on trial in connection with an ambulance deal, and the Accra High Court is hearing their case. The minister of health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has stated that Parliament did not approve the sole-sourcing procurement of ambulances in favour of Big Sea General Trading Limited.
The minister, the third witness for the prosecution, clarified in his main testimony before the court yesterday that Big Sea General Trading Limited was not chosen as the supplier of the ambulances in the term sheet that was authorised by Parliament for the acquisition of the ambulances.
There was no paperwork supporting the exclusive sourcing, according to Mr. Agyeman-Manu, who was being guided by the Attorney General (A-G) and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame.
And for that reason, I thought it was odd and not the right course of action at the moment.
Charges
Dr. Forson, the Ajumako Enyan-Essiam National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) and Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Finance Committee, is on trial alongside
Former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health Dr. Sylvester Anemana and businessman Richard Jakpa have been charged with defrauding the government of €2.37 million in an agreement to buy 200 ambulances between 2014 and 2016.
They have pled not guilty to five charges of knowingly breaking the Public Procurement Act, aiding in the purposefully breaking of the Public Procurement Act, and willfully inflicting financial harm to the state.
Testimony
The most recent witness to testify in the case, the Health Minister, stated that the funding deal between the Ghanaian government and Stanbic Bank for €15.8 million for the purchase of 200 ambulances was authorised by Parliament.
He stated that following parliamentary clearance, Dr. Anemana, the second accused and then-chief director of the Ministry of Health, wrote to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to request permission to sole-source the purchase of 200 ambulances from Big Sea General Trading.
He claimed that the ministry was required to work with Big Sea General Trading for the project's implementation by the ministry in paragraph two of the letter to the PPA.
The minister testified before the court that the term sheet that was submitted to Parliament for approval did not indicate that Big Sea General Trading had been chosen to carry out the project when asked about what he had to say about the parliamentary approval and the letter that was written to the PPA.
Mr. Agyeman-Manu also stated during his testimony before the court, which was presided over by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, that there was no proof that Big Sea General Trading handled the financial arrangement.
ambulance contract
According to the evidence provided by the A-G with the charge sheet, former President John Evans Atta Mills stated in 2009's State of the Nation Address that additional ambulances will be acquired to increase operations.
Jakpa, a local agent of the Dubai-based Big Sea General Trading, subsequently approached the Ministry of Health with a proposal that he had secured financing from Stanbic Bank for the government's purchase of 200 ambulances.
The funding arrangement between the government and Stanbic Bank was authorised by parliament.
According to the facts, Dr. Anemana requested permission from the PPA in a letter dated November 19, 2012, to contract Big Sea General Trading as the sole source for the delivery of 200 ambulances.
They said that Dr. Forson requested letters of credit for €3.95 million for the purchase of 50 ambulances on August 7, 2014, in a letter to the Bank of Ghana addressed to Big Sea General Trading.