Attorney General Drops Charges Against Ato Forson, Cites Political Persecution

Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has defended his decision to discontinue the trial of Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, stating that the case was politically motivated and lacked legal merit.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Dr. Ayine revealed that after a thorough reassessment, he found no legal justification to proceed with the prosecution. He emphasized that his decision to drop several high-profile cases, particularly those involving members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), was based on legal principles rather than political considerations.

“I was involved in this case from the very beginning and have followed its proceedings closely. I firmly believe that Hon. Ato Forson was subjected to a politically driven trial and that there is no legitimate basis for continuing with the case,” Dr. Ayine stated.

He pointed to a Court of Appeal ruling that found the trial court had erred in compelling the accused to mount a defense, reinforcing his stance that the prosecution was unjustified. He also criticized the previous Attorney General’s attempt to appeal the ruling, calling it a legally flawed move aimed at salvaging the case’s credibility.

Two weeks ago, Dr. Ayine’s office formally withdrew the controversial ambulance trial against Dr. Ato Forson and businessman Richard Jakpa. The decision followed the Court of Appeal’s judgment, which acquitted and discharged both defendants.

Background of the Case

Dr. Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa were accused of causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state through the procurement of 200 ambulances between 2014 and 2016.

At the time, Dr. Forson was the Deputy Finance Minister, while Jakpa served as a local representative for Big Sea General Trading Limited, a Dubai-based company. Both men denied the charges, which included willfully causing financial loss to the state, abetting financial loss, breaching the Public Procurement Act, and misapplying public funds.

With the Attorney General’s intervention, all legal proceedings against them have now been discontinued, bringing the case to a close.