The Attorney General’s Department has confirmed that lawyers representing Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson have taken steps to initiate a plea bargain, and they did so through an intermediary.
This disclosure comes 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.
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.
However, the state has reported that it received letters from Dr. Ato Forson’s legal representatives in support of a plea bargain request brought to their attention by a third party.
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.
Due to the Attorney General’s department’s reluctance to engage with individuals who were not directly indicted in the case, the accused individuals were prompted to respond to the proposal.
“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.
Following this, legal representatives of some of the accused individuals, as explained by Tuah-Yeboah, sent letters to the department in support of the proposal.
“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.”
Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Department is yet to make a decision on the request.