Richard Jakpa
Richard Jakpa, the businessman who facilitated the purchase of what the Attorney General’s Office refers to as ‘defective ambulances’ for the Ministry of Health, has hired the services of a new lawyer as he opens his defence before a High Court in Accra.
The businessman, who is said to be sick and on admission at the hospital, currently has an arrest warrant in his name following his failure to appear for the trial on March 21, 2024, and the court indicating his excuse was not tenable.
The accused, who is standing trial alongside Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson, fired his lawyer on March 14, and opened his defence after that, telling the court he was sidelined in the execution of the contract, hence, should not be standing trial.
He has now hired the services of private legal practitioner, Thaddeus Sory, as he seeks to raise a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case against him.
Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court judge, indicated yesterday that an officer of the court had visited the hospital and confirmed that Mr. Jakpa was on admission there.
The court, taking into consideration the fact that Mr. Sory had just been hired, decided to adjourn the case to April 9, 2024, to allow the lawyer enough time to peruse the proceedings so far to enable him defend his client.
Justice Asare-Botwe, however, indicated that the case would not go beyond May 31, 2024, although she had originally scheduled judgment on the case for May 3, 2024.
She also told the lawyer that the case is heard every Tuesday and Thursday, and that would not change. She added that the parties in the case would have a case completion plan at the next sitting.
Meanwhile, Owiredu Dankwa, counsel for Dr. Sylvester Anemana has filed an application asking the court to discharge the sureties who executed his bail bond.
Dr. Anemana, a former Chief Director at the Ministry of Health was initially standing trial together with Dr. Forson and Mr. Jakpa before the Attorney General decided to file a nolle prosequi to discontinue the trial against him due to his ill health.
The application could not be moved as it was not served on the Office of the Attorney General early enough for them to respond to it.
Trial
Dr. Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa are standing trial for willfully causing financial loss of €2.37 million to the state, through a contract to purchase 200 ambulances for the Ministry of Health, among other charges.
The ambulances, according to court documents, are ordinary buses which are not fit for purpose as they do not have the needed equipment that an ambulance requires.
The prosecution, led by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, and Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, closed its case on February 14, 2023 after calling five witnesses, including the then Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu to prove its case.
The main issue raised during the prosecution’s case was whether the defective vehicles were purchased in accordance with the purchase agreement approved by Parliament.
The other was whether Dr. Forson was authorised by the substantive Finance Minister or any superior officer to write a letter to the Controller and Accountant-General, directing the establishment of irrevocable letters of credit (LCs) which led to the payments.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak