Court of Appeal judge, Justice Affia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, has declared that she will make every effort to conclude the trial of the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, by December 31.
Justice Asare-Botwe is currently serving as a High Court judge with additional responsibilities in the ambulance transaction case, wherein Dr Forson and Dr Sylvester Anemama, a former Chief Director of the minister, are accused of causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state.
The judge has stated that a verdict will be reached in February 2024.
During the court proceedings, Mr Edudzi Tamekloe requested that the Minority Leader be excused to participate in the 2024 Budget Review.
However, Justice Asare-Botwe denied the request and stated that the trial would proceed in the absence of the Minority Leader on November 21.
Dr Forson and Dr Anemana both pleaded not guilty to all charges of willfully causing financial loss to the state.
According to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Godred Yeboah Dame, Dr Forson wrote to the Controller and Accountant-General on August 12, 2014, authorizing the release of GH¢806,688.75 to the Minister of Health for the payment of bank charges for the establishment of Letters of Credit (LCs) for the supply of 50 Mercedes Benz ambulances and related services.
Additionally, Dr Forson instructed that the LCs should be charged to the budget of the Ministry of Health, which was against the Parliamentary approval on the funding for the supply of the ambulances.
On the authority of the letters dated August 7 and 12, 2014, written by Dr. Forson to the Bank of Ghana, the Controller and Accountant-General authorized the establishment of an irrevocable transferable LCs in the sum of €3,950,000 in favor of Big Sea.
Mr. Dame stated that by February 2015, 30 ambulances had already arrived in Ghana, but a post-delivery inspection revealed that they had no medical equipment, and there were other defects.