The Attorney-General’s office has expressed disappointment in the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit former Deputy Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, and two others in the ambulance purchase case.
According to the A-G, the decision is “perverse” and “heavily against the weight of cogent evidence” presented by the prosecution.
“The decision clearly is heavily against the weight of the cogent evidence led by the prosecution in substantiation of all the charges against the accused persons at the trial,” the A-G said in a statement.
The A-G’s office has vowed to appeal the decision, describing it as “grossly unfair to the nation” and “inimical to the fight against impunity and abuse in public office”.
“We will promptly file an appeal in order to erase the effect of this erroneous decision of the Court of Appeal,” the statement added.
The Court of Appeal’s decision was based on a split 2-1 ruling, with the majority saying the High Court erred in calling on the accused to open their defense.
But the A-G’s office insists that the evidence presented shows that the accused persons committed a crime by importing vehicles purporting to be ambulances into the country in violation of a contract.
“The relevant facts of the matter, as borne out by the undisputed evidence led so far, show that vehicles purporting to be ambulances were imported into the country in December 2014 in violation of the contract governing the transaction,” the statement said.
The A-G’s office also quoted a report by authorized dealers in Mercedes Benz, which stated that the vehicles could never be converted into ambulances.
“The defects were so irremediable that from the time the vehicles started arriving in December 2014 up to January 2017 when the erstwhile John Mahama administration left office, they could not be converted into ambulances,” the statement added.
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