At a press meeting, the Minority backed their claims with documents, noting that, Ghana is losing due to careless management.

The Minority stated that the deal, which allegedly involves the daughters and in-laws of President Akufo-Addo, included payments to companies supplying ambulances under special initiatives.

These companies allegedly lacked expertise and relied on the Ghana Ambulance Service, yet still received payments.

The Minority also alleged that, the contracted sum for spare parts exceeded the unit cost of the ambulances.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Chairman of the Assurances Committee said “the Minority is also urging the President to instruct his Chief of Staff, Frema Opare, to cease pressuring the Ministers of Health and Finance to make unlawful payments to SGAGL”.

They further called on the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to expedite investigations and prosecutions into this troubling scandal.

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Mr Ayariga criticised the deal, accusing it of being a misuse of the country’s limited resources and indicative of corruption.

He emphasised that the NDC will not tolerate what he sees as mismanagement and will lead a demonstration involving unemployed Ghanaians to the Jubilee House and the office of President Akufo-Addo’s daughter.

In a media interview on Tuesday, Mr Ayariga expressed his frustration with the current administration’s handling of the deal, describing it as deeply troubling.

He asserted that the corruption within the government is alarming and unacceptable.

The NDC youth, according to Mr Ayariga, are determined to hold the government accountable for what they perceive as financial missteps and corruption.

The protest aims to draw attention to the issue and demand transparency.

Mr Ayariga concluded by urging the government to address the concerns raised by the NDC and to stop practices that he believes are detrimental to the country’s future.

“Today who else is benefiting from bloated and inflated contracts other than the President’s daughter and her associates are enjoying from the ambulance contract. There is a new report from the Auditor-General that there has been another purchase of 307 ambulances which was bloated from $24 million to $54 million, a whopping $30 million bloated contract, yet we have 1.9 million unemployed youth who are hovering on the streets of Accra and soon, we will start occupying everywhere including the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo’s office,” he said.

The former Deputy Finance Minister and two others are on trial for counts of causing financial loss to the state over the importation of 30 ambulances.

These were part of a contract between the Ministry of Health and Dubai-based firm, Big Sea Limited in 2012 for the purchase of 200 ambulances.

The prosecution on Thursday presented its last witness who was an investigator with the Economic and Organised Crime Office.

The lawyers of the accused during cross-examination however pushed the view that Dr Ato Forson acted only on behalf of former Finance Minister Seth Terkper.

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But the witness insisted investigations revealed that the NDC legislator acted without authorization from Seth Terkper.

The case has, therefore, been adjourned to February 14 for cross-examination to continue.

The Minister, who was facing cross-examination from defence lawyers, made this known on his final day of scrutiny by defence lawyers.

Dr Abdul Basit Aziz Bamba, counsel for Dr Forson, had asked if the Minister had sighted any document at his ministry which indicated that the first accused authorised the payment of the contract sum of the ambulances.

The Minister, who is the 3rd Prosecution Witness in the ongoing trial, answered in the negative.

It was the case of counsel for Dr Forson that after the LCs (Letter of Credit) was established on August 18, 2014, he had not sighted any document that indicated that A1 (Dr Ato Forson) authorised payment to be made under the LC.

Mr Agyeman-Manu, who is the 3rd witness agreed with him, saying “I have not sighted any document to show that A1 authorised payment for Ambulances.”

On the last day of his scrutiny, the Minister also admitted that government failed to send its officials to inspect ambulances it was procuring before they were shipped to Ghana, contrary to the clear terms of the contract.

Under further cross-examination from lawyers for Dr Forson led by Dr Bamba on September 1, the defence confronted him with some exhibits, some of which he indicated he had not seen before.

Govt’s failure on obligation

The Minister also admitted that government did not perform one of its obligations under the contract.

“In my mind, I will say no. But my lady let me draw your attention to another fact. In that same bullet point, LCs on the sight of goods shall be established upon the signing of the contract for every 50 ambulances.

“My lady, Exhibit V that I have, speaks about purchasing brand new 200 medical ambulances. And so my lady, the contract for every 50 ambulances that clause 4.2 talks about, was never done. And therefore, the LCs should not have been established at all,” he told the court.

Asked again by Counsel Dr Bamba if he “will you agree that by the Government of Ghana not complying with clause 4.2.1 in terms of the time frame for setting up the LC, the Government of Ghana breached Exhibit V.“

The Health Minister said, “That is correct.”

Counsel again asked if the Government of Ghana conducted a pre-shipment inspection before the ambulances were shipped to Ghana. The Health Minister answered in the negative.

He subsequently admitted that the Health Ministry reached an agreement with the supplier on a plan for rectifying the defects in the ambulances. He added that some medical equipment for the vehicles shipped were never cleared from the ports.

Asked by Dr Bamba why the equipment were not cleared, the Minister said, the Ministry did not have the funds to do so and that, he had urged the supplier to clear the items, but the counsel stated that it was the obligation of the Ministry of Health to clear the items.

“The testimony that you just gave is not correct. It was the responsibility of the Government of Ghana to clear the equipment,” counsel said.

But, the Health Minister said, “I do not see it so.”

Minister discharged

The Minister has been discharged by the High Court in Accra after ending his testimonies.

After over two hours of cross-examination on Thursday, September 1, the court, presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, discharged him.

“Thank you so much for your corporation, you are discharged,” Justice Asare-Botwe remarked.

The case has been adjourned to January 10, 2023, for the 4th witness to testify.

Charges

Dr Forson, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Esiam, and the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, has been charged with Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health and Richard Jakpa, a businessman, for allegedly causing financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in a deal to purchase some 200 ambulances for the country between 2014 and 2016.

They have all pleaded not guilty and are standing trial.