Legal representative of Dr. Casiel Ato Forson, Dr. Abdul Basit Aziz Bamba, told Minister of Health Kwek Agyeman-Manu at the Finance and Economic Court in Accra that Dr. Forson was not acting personally when he signed the letter on behalf of his boss, the Ministry of Finance requesting the establishment of a letter of credit (LC) in favor of Big Sea Limited for the purchase of some ambulances.
Mr. Agyeman Manu appeared in court for the second time as a prosecution witness in the case of willful causing financial loss to the state brought against Dr. Forson and two other states.
During cross-examination after Mr Agyeman Manu led Attorney-General Godfred Dame in his evidence, Dr Bamba asked the witness if he was aware that the then Minister of Finance disclosed during the investigation into the matter that he had authorized his then deputy, Dr Forson, to sign the letter dated August 7, 2014 requesting the Bank of Ghana through the Comptroller General and Accountant to create letters of credit in favor of a company based in Dubai.
Dr Forson was accused of causing financial loss to the state without due cause and authorization from the Akufo-Addo government.
In further cross-examination, Mr. Agyeman Manu admitted that it was not unusual for Deputy Ministers and Chief Directors to sign letters of authority from their Ministers.
He added that if ministers discovered that letters had been signed in their name without contacting them, they took steps that included questioning the erring officials or issuing instructions that all such future correspondence should only be carried out on their express instructions .
Asked by Dr Bamba if he was aware that the then finance minister had told investigators that he asked Dr Forson to sign the said letter, Mr Agyemang Manu said he was not aware of it.
Mr. Agyeman Manu also conceded under cross-examination that letters of credit did not constitute payment in themselves but offered a guarantee of payment if stipulated conditions were met.
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