Richard Dzakpa, a businessman on trial alongside former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, in relation to the ambulance case, claims that any problems with the ambulances stem from the government’s lack of cooperation.
Mr. Dzakpa testified that the government failed to assist Big Sea Limited, the company tasked with shipping the ambulances and installing the right accessories on the vehicles.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson is standing trial with two others for counts of causing financial loss to the state in the purchase of some faulty ambulances.
The case against the Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson, is that he requested the letters of credit which formed the basis for the payment of the ambulances to the tune of €2.37 million without authorization, a claim he has denied.
According to Mr. Dzakpa’s witness statement, Big Sea shipped the requested accessories per the government’s request; however, upon arrival, the government allegedly refused to help clear them from customs or facilitate their installation, as outlined in the agreement.
“I must repeat that in this case, the government has not complained that the ambulances were not supplied. The government admits that the vehicles were supplied but complains that what was supplied was without accessories. The government has not rejected the goods, already paid for them, and has further actually committed in principle to continue paying for subsequent productions till all the 200 ambulances are supplied.”
“The government and Big Sea have agreed that Big Sea should supply the accessories which Big Sea has supplied since 2016, but the government has since and still without terminating the contract refused to cooperate to enable Big Sea to install the supplied accessories agreed in the addendum to the contract by clearing the accessories and notifying Big Sea to proceed to fly down to Ghana and fix the accessories as stated in the addendum.”
“For the past Seven (7) years, government has reneged on implementing the addendum negotiated for by both parties,” he added.
