The Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has filed a supplementary affidavit in support of the motion on notice for an order of mistrial, injunction, and/or stay of proceedings in the ongoing ambulance case trial.
Lawyers for the former Deputy Finance Minister cited a leaked tape between the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, and the third accused, Richard Jakpa, in which the former allegedly attempted to coach the third accused to implicate Dr. Ato Forson in the ongoing trial, for the application.
Just last week, the Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has, through his lawyers, petitioned the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Torkornoo, requesting a live broadcast of proceedings in the ongoing ambulance trial.
The Minority Leader said his request is in the interest of transparency and accountability in order to advance the course of justice for all parties in the trial.
The former Deputy Finance Minister is standing trial together with two others for allegedly causing a €2.37 million financial loss to the state.
In his affidavit, the lawmaker averred that the Attorney-General misconducted himself and called for the prosecution to be declared a mistrial.
“It has become necessary to file this affidavit in order to bring to the attention of the Court and in the interest of justice, certain pertinent, material and relevant matters that have a bearing on the fair and just determination of the current application.
“That I say that I have since filing the instant application had the opportunity of listening to a recording widely circulating in the media depicting the voices of the Attorney-General and A3 fervently discussing the evidence the Attorney-General will prefer the said A3 to adduce at the trial. At the hearing of the instant application, my counsel will seek leave of the court to have the said audio recording played in open court.”
He further indicated that 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 by none other than the Attorney-General, could severely undermine public confidence in the judicial process.
Dr. Forson, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ajumako Enyan Essiam, is standing trial with Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, and Richard Jakpa, a businessman, for allegedly causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in a deal to purchase 200 ambulances for Ghana between 2014 and 2016.
The lawmaker and the other two accused persons pleaded not guilty to five counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, abetment to wilfully cause financial loss to the state, contravention of the Public Procurement Act, and intentionally misapplying public property.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
