In a significant ruling, the Court of Appeal has acquitted and discharged Minority Leader Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson in the ongoing ambulance procurement case. The decision by the appellate court also set aside the order for Dr. Ato Forson to present his defence as required by the trial court.
Edudzi Tamekloe, Director of Legal Affairs for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), provided insights during an interview on the Breakfast Show following the Court of Appeal’s decision. “After the prosecution called their witnesses, lawyers for the accused persons filed a submission of no case. The trial court dismissed this submission, but we appealed the decision. Today, the Court of Appeal, by a 2-1 majority, upheld our appeal, thereby acquitting and discharging Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa,” Tamekloe explained.
Previously, on June 6, the High Court, Accra, dismissed an application filed by Dr. Forson for a mistrial and an inquiry into the conduct of Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame. The trial judge ruled that the minority leader had not demonstrated any statutory provisions warranting a mistrial or an inquiry into the Attorney General’s actions.
On June 3, Dr. Forson’s legal team submitted a supplementary affidavit supporting their motion for a mistrial, injunction, and stay of proceedings. The affidavit cited a leaked tape featuring a conversation between the Attorney General and the third accused, Richard Jakpa, in which the Attorney General allegedly coached Jakpa to implicate Dr. Forson in the trial.
In their arguments, Dr. Forson’s legal team asserted that the Attorney General’s conduct demonstrated a blatant disregard for the rule of law and ethical prosecution standards, thereby undermining public confidence in the judicial process.
Following the appeal at the Court of Appeal, the court ruled in favour of Dr. Forson in a 2:1 majority decision, resulting in his acquittal. Businessman Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the ambulance trial, was also acquitted by the court.
This ruling marks a pivotal moment in the case, emphasising the importance of judicial integrity and the upholding of legal standards in the judicial process.