Member of Parliament (MP) for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam, Cassiel Ato Forson, is insisting that the Attorney General’s (AG) financial loss suit against him is a sinister plot to tarnish his reputation.
According to him, Godfred Dame is driven by hate, prejudice and demagoguery, adding he is abusing his prosecutorial powers to silence critical political opponents.
The former Deputy Finance Minister and two others; a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health; Sylvester Anemana, and a businessman; Richard Jakpa, are alleged to have cost the state to lose €2.37 million.
This was in a deal to purchase 200 ambulances for the country between 2014 and 2016.
They have been dragged to the Accra High Court by the AG on counts of wilfully 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.
Setting the records straight earlier at a press conference, he said the accusation is a deliberate attempt to intimidate him due to his continuous opposition to the government’s policies, notably the e-levy.
In response, a statement signed by Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Diana Asonaba Dapaah, rejected the claims.
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It argued the lawmaker’s claim is intended to cause public disaffection for the office.
Mr Forson maintains, however, that the office cannot order him on how to respond to such “malicious” allegations against him.
“I wish to state that the Attorney General’s office cannot determine my reaction to the sinister plot to needlessly tarnish my reputation and rob me of my liberty simply because I remain implacably opposed to the poor economic policies of this government, and in particular the E-Levy,” he fumed.
Read the full reaction below:
I have noted a statement issued by a Deputy Attorney General claiming that by speaking out against the malice and deliberate political persecution inherent in the decision to prosecute me, I am exposing the Attorney General to “hate” and “prejudice”.
I wish to state that the Attorney General’s office cannot determine my reaction to the sinister plot to needlessly tarnish my reputation and rob me of my liberty simply because I remain implacably opposed to the poor economic policies of this government and in particular the E-Levy.
It is the Attorney General who is driven by hate, prejudice and demagoguery! He is the one abusing his prosecutorial powers to silence critical political opponents.
For instance, on Paragraph 7 of the AG’s statement issued yesterday, it was claimed that;
“As stated in the facts of the case filed in court on 22nd December 2011, cabinet endorsed an executive approval of a joint memorandum submitted to cabinet by the then Minister for Health and the first accused Cassiel Ato Forson, then Deputy Minister for Finance, for the purchase of 200 ambulances out of a medium-term credit facility of €15,800,000 between Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited and the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Finance.”
For the avoidance of doubt, the Cabinet memo for the purchase of the Ambulances was submitted in December 2011.
I became a Deputy minister on the 2nd of May 2013. How could I have signed a cabinet MEMO in December 2011?