Ato Forson Ambulance case: Richard Jakpa sparks courtroom laughter with lengthy explanation 

Richard Jakpa, the businessman charged jointly with the Minority Leader for allegedly causing financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in an ambulance deal, threw the courtroom into a state of continuous laughter during cross-examination on Tuesday [June 18, 2024).

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, who was cross-examining the accused person asked the accused person that apart from his unsatisfactory conduct, he (Jakpa) was released from the Ghana Armed Forces in 2007 because he failed his promotional exams after seven years.

In a bid to answer the question, My Jakpa dived into a lengthy explanation about his family background, how he applied to join the military, his work among a litany of explanations on his qualifications, and how he traveled to Pennsylvania to study an international private investigation course at his own expense for two years.

"I wrote 25 exams involving espionage, tort law, and at the end," his average was 97.8. 

He told the court that he was released from the Ghana Armed Forces because of victimisation and not because he could not pass his exams.

The longevity of his answer sparked guffaw in the courtroom to the extent that even one of the court clerks stopped typing the proceedings briefly to laugh at the detailed response given by the accused.

The DPP interjected the accused and drew the court’s attention to how the accused person had spent several minutes replying the question.

“It was a direct question on examination whether he failed or not,” the DPP said.

Thaddeus Sory, counsel for Jakpa was of the view that the accused person should be allowed to answer the question adding, “If it goes to his credibility, he can go ahead”.

The court allowed the accused to proceed with his explanation to the question on exam failure.

After about 30 minutes, the DPP again interjected again. This time around, Justice Asare-Botwe directed Jakpa to answer the question regarding whether or not he passed the exams.

She explained that the prosecution had been allotted only six hours to cross-examine the accused.

“If he (Jakpa) opts to answer in a manner that take so much time then it is a problem because we have given them 6 hours. The background has been going on for three pages,” she said. 

• Ato Forson ambulance case: Prosecution grills Jakpa on meeting with Attorney-General
• Court orders National Security to investigate source of audio recording of proceedings

Background

Dr Forson and Jakpa have been accused of causing financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in a deal to purchase 200 ambulances for the country between 2014 and 2016.

They have pleaded not guilty to counts of willfully 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.

Per the A-G’s facts accompanying the charge sheet, in 2009, while delivering the State of the Nation Address, the then President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, indicated that new ambulances would be purchased to expand the operations of the National Ambulance Service.

Jakpa, who is a local representative of Big Sea General Trading Limited, a company based in Dubai, subsequently approached the Ministry of Health with a proposal that he had arranged for finance from Stanbic Bank for the supply of 200 ambulances to the government.

Parliament approved the financing agreement between the government and Stanbic Bank.

According to the facts, on November 19, 2012, Dr Anemana wrote to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) seeking approval to engage Big Sea through single sourcing for the supply of the 200 ambulances.

They added that on August  7, 2014, Dr Forson wrote to the Bank of Ghana for letters of credit covering €3.95 million for the supply of 50 ambulances in favour of Big Sea. The letters of credit were accordingly released to Big Sea.

The facts said 30 ambulances were purchased at a sum of €2.37 million but all were found not to have met ambulance specifications and therefore “not fit for purpose”.