Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has once again refuted claims by the Attorney General’s Department that he has sought plea bargain over the ambulance procurement deal in court.
Earlier, the Attorney General’s Department confirmed that lawyers representing Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson have taken steps to initiate a plea bargain, and they did so through an intermediary.
- Advertisement -
This disclosure came in response to a challenge issued to the Attorney General’s department by Dr. Ato Forson’s legal team, who requested the release of any correspondence indicating that their client had initiated plea bargain discussions.
The challenge arose in light of media reports suggesting that the Minority Leader had reached out to the Attorney General’s department regarding a plea bargain arrangement.
- Advertisement -
Deputy Attorney General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah clarified that his office initially received two separate letters from a third party offering to cover the cost of the ambulances in exchange for the case being dropped.
“I think last year someone who was not a party to that prosecution offered to make a refund and take the ambulance back and in lieu of that we withdraw the case,” Tuah-Yeboah noted.
- Advertisement -
“There was a second letter and we said we don’t even know those of you who have written this letter. If you want those who are being prosecuted to take advantage of your proposal, they should rather come up with that proposal,” the deputy Attorney General said.
“The accused persons, some of them through their lawyers wrote that they actually endorse the letter written by the third party seeking to return the money.”
On the specific question of whether the Minority Leader made such a move, the Deputy Attorney General indicated that “Mr. Forson’s lawyers also wrote a letter seeking to say they were also siding with the third party who had offered to pay that money.”
But Dr Ato Forson says this claim “is false, wicked and evil and is intended to incite public prejudice against me and undermine my the right to fair trial.”
According to Dr Ato Forson, he has not, “at any point in time, approached any one or authority to consider or discuss the said plea bargain that has been attributed to me.”
He therefore has requested that the Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and CitiNewsroom.com, take appropriate steps to correct this “false reportage immediately.
Dr. Ato Forson, along with two others, is facing criminal charges related to causing financial loss to the state in connection with a flawed ambulance procurement deal. The accused individuals are alleged to have committed criminal acts in the purchase of 50 defective ambulances, costing 2.3 million Euros.
Dr. Ato Forson, who was the Deputy Finance Minister at the time of the purchase, specifically faces accusations of issuing letters of credit for the ambulance purchase without proper authorization, allegations he has vehemently denied.
The state has completed its case, and the court has instructed Dr. Ato Forson, the primary accused, to present his defense. He has called two witnesses so far and plans to call four more, including his former superior, Seth Terkper, and former Health Minister Alex Segbefia.
