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Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa have requested to challenge the High Court’s ruling requiring them to begin their defense in the ongoing ambulance case, and a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal has set deadlines for hearing their motion.
The accused parties’ attorneys are not happy with the High Court’s March 30, 2023, ruling, which was made under Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, requiring them to begin defending against the allegations.
Following the completion of the Prosecution’s argument, Justice Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court, concluded that they are entitled to launch their defense because there is prima facie evidence against them.
The current minority leader in parliament, Dr. Ato Forson, and businessman Richard Jakpa are facing allegations that they purposefully caused the republic to lose 2.37 million euros by buying ambulances.
They are awaiting trial after entering a not guilty plea.
The parties appeared at the Court of Appeal even though the accused have begun to present their case, with Richard Jakpa, the third accused, currently in the Witness box.
The three-member Court of Appeal panel, led by Justice Poku Acheampong, gave instructions to Dr. Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa, the applicants, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, to file their written comments and have them served by the Attorney General’s Office within seven days after that day.
The Attorney General was also instructed by the court to file his response documents within seven days of receiving the Applicant’s submissions.
The panel, which also consists of Justices Philip Bright Mensah and Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, has set July 30, 2024, as the date for its ruling.
Richard Jakpa was represented by Thaddeus Sory and Baffour Gyau Bonsu Ashia, while Dr. Ato Forson, the first accused, was represented by Dr. Abdul Bassit Aziz Bamba and Godwin Edudzi Tamekloe.
The Attorney General was represented by Senior State Attorney Joshua Sackey.
The prosecution and Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson have both concluded their cases thus far in the trial, which is still ongoing. The prosecution is currently cross-examining businessman Richard Jakpa.
Following Richard Jakpa, the third accused’s claims that the Attorney General met with him at strange hours in order to implicate Dr. Ato Forson, the trial has taken a dramatic turn.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
