Businessman Richard Jakpa, one of the two individuals still facing trial for allegedly causing financial loss to the state in the procurement of ambulances, has denied the accusations.
He dismissed the prosecution’s claims as “improper” and asserted that his prosecution was conducted in “bad faith.”
Jakpa, along with Dr. Ato Forson, former Deputy Finance Minister and current Minority Leader in Parliament, is on trial for allegedly causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state through a contract for the purchase of 200 ambulances for the Ministry of Health.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to five charges, including willfully causing financial loss to the state, abetment of crime, violation of the Public Procurement Act, and intentionally misapplying public property.
Dr. Forson has been granted a GH¢3 million self-recognizance bail, while Richard Jakpa received a GH¢5 million bail with three sureties, one of whom must provide documentation of a landed property.
Dr. Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director at the Ministry of Health and the second accused, was discharged due to health concerns following the Attorney General’s Nolle Prosequi.
In Court on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 while concluding on the reading of his 134-paragraphed Witness Statement (evidence-in-chief), he said “it is clearly not proper to contend that government has suffered financial loss when government still has the benefit of the ambulances which are in government’s possession.”
Mr. Jakpa, who is standing trial together with former Deputy Finance Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, said he had “no business transaction with the State or even Big Sea.”
Assigning reasons for his position as to the charge against him not being proper, he said “government or Big Sea also did not contract me to play any role whatsoever in the transaction from which the present proceedings result.”
It was also the case of Mr Jakpa, the third accused person that, he is “not an officer of Big Sea or government.”
The 3rd Accused also told the Court that, “It is JBL which has relationships with Big Sea and not government.”
“I am just a director and share holder of JBL unless there is a special reason for making me personally the accused person in this case, and the prosecution has established none, my prosecution is not proceeded with in good faith,” he submitted.
Mr Jakpa also told the Court in the concluding part of his Evidence-in-Chief through his Witness State that, “even with JBL, it (JBL] is merely a commissioned agent of the said Big Sea company which acted as an agent for Big Sea for a fee.”
The third accused also posited that, “neither me nor JBL had any responsibility/obligation under the contract between GoG and Big Sea in the delivery of the ambulances.”
“All payments made were made directly to Big Sea through an Irrevocable Transferable Letter of Credit (LC).
“Payments made to JBL were made pursuant to court orders which are still valid and not set aside,” the accused told the Court.
He added that, the ambulances have been duly supplied and “an agreement reached to rectify all defects if any.”
“The accessories to rectify all defects have since the year 2016 been shipped to government,” he told the Court.
He also said, “government has accepted the ambulances because government has not rejected them.”
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah is reporting that, Mr Jakpa is facing cross examination from lawyers of Dr Ato Forson before the High Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal.