Director of Conflict Resolution of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abraham Amaliba, has stated that it has always been public knowledge to impartial legal minds that the acquittal and discharge of Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson in the ambulance procurement case was bound to happen.
Mr. Amaliba explained on The Big Issue on Channel One TV that the charges against Ato Forson and two others were politically motivated by a quest to persecute the three accused and had no legal backing.
“We have always known that it was a persecution rather than a prosecution and we have always known that the trial was politically motivated and nothing else. Even the AG was heard on tape saying that he was under pressure from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to jail Ato Forson and so we have always known that when we appear before the right people, Ato [Forson] will walk free,” Amaliba told the host Selorm Adonoo.
He also referred to a leaked tape between Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame and the third accused, Richard Jakpa on which the AG was said to be attempting to coerce Jakpa to implicate Ato Forson.
Amaliba said Godfred Dame struggled to understand the implication of letters of credit and other issues about the case.
“If you listened to the leaked tape, the AG was struggling to comprehend what letters of credit meant and were supposed to do, and Jakpa tried to make him understand so it is clear that no wrong payments were made.
“He who alleges must prove, not the accused and so we were expecting that the AG would bring Seth Terkper to prove that Ato Forson did not have authorisation to issue the letters of credit.”
The Court of Appeal acquitted and discharged Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and businessman Richard Jakpa on Tuesday, July 30, setting aside the order for the former Deputy Finance Minister to open his defence by the trial judge in the ambulance case.
The acquittal was upheld by the Court in a 2:1 majority decision which allowed the accused to walk free.
The Attorney General’s department indicated that the Court of Appeal’s ruling will be challenged.
