Ambulance trial: Court to rule on Ato Forson, Jakpa’s applications today

An Accra High Court is set to deliver its ruling on the five separate applications filed by accused persons in the ongoing ambulance trial.

The accused persons, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, a former Deputy Finance Minister, and Richard Jakpa, a businessman, are on trial for causing the state a €2.3 million loss.

The accused persons are to answer five counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, abetment to wilfully causing financial loss to the state, contravention of the Public Procurement Act, and intentionally misapplying public property.

However, recent developments regarding allegations that the Attorney-General had repeatedly sought Mr Jakpa’s assistance to implicate Dr Ato Forson led to both accused persons filing separate applications for a mistrial.

Dr Ato Forson, for instance, says failure to order a mistrial in such circumstances, where there appears to be a blatant disregard for the rule of law and ethical standards of prosecution, could severely undermine public confidence in the judicial process.

Mr Jakpa, on the other hand, is asking the court to strike out the charges against him because it violates his right to a fair trial.

Additionally, the duo applied for a stay of the trial, pending the determination of the two main applications.

However, the Office of the A-G said the accused persons are bent on using any means necessary to avoid their legitimate prosecution for the crimes committed against the state.

Describing the accused persons’ applications as frivolous and a complete waste of the court’s time, the A-G argues that it is in the public interest that the case be brought to a firm conclusion based on credible evidence.

The Attorney General urged the court to dismiss the various applications.

The presiding judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, will make rulings based on the arguments presented in the legal documents filed by both parties.