The State in the trial involving Dr Ato Forson and two others, on Thursday failed to produce Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, the Minister of Health, to testify in the case.
Mr Agyeman-Manu was scheduled to give his evidence-in-chief in the trial and be cross-examined by the parties but the prosecution informed the court that the witness had an urgent meeting to attend.
Mrs
, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), told the Court that the prosecution had a conference with the Minister, who was supposed to be the third witness, but they later got to know only at the last minute that he had an urgent meeting to attend.
The DPP said the Minister also informed the prosecution that he would be attending a COVAX Boarding Meeting, hence, he would not be around until June 28, 2022.
The three, Dr Forson, Dr Sylvester Anemana and Richard Dzakpa are being prosecuted over the purchase of 50 ambulances.
Dr Forson, a former Deputy Minister of Finance, was granted a self-cognisance bail of GHS3 million for allegedly willfully causing a financial loss of 2,370,000 euros to the State.
He is also facing an additional charge of “Intentionally misapplying public property contrary to section 1 (2) of the Public Property Protection Act, 1977 (SMCD 140).”
Dr Anemana, a Former Chief Director at the Ministry of Health, was also granted, a bail of one million Ghana Cedis with three sureties, one of whom shall be a public servant not below the rank of a Director.
While Mr Dzakpa, a Businessman, was also granted bail of five million Ghana Cedis with three sureties, one of whom must be justified with documents of landed property.
“The witness is indisposed currently, and it is difficult to sometimes have a conference with the witness and at the last minutes, the witness is unable to make it,” she said.
Mrs Attakorah-Oboubisa told the court presided over by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe that it was rather unfortunate, that the Minister was not here to testify.
She, therefore, prayed the court to adjourn the matter to June 28, 2022.
Initially, Justice Asare-Botwe was reluctant to adjourn the case but was eventually persuaded to and cautioned that this would be the first and last time.
The Judge again cautioned the prosecution in case the Minister was unavailable to come at the next adjourned date, the State should be prepared and ready to call another witness.
Mr Edward Markwei Jnr., the Head of Trade Finance Unit of the Banking Department of the Bank of Ghana, in a cross-examination, said Mr Dzakpa did not influence the payment of the 200,000 euros referred to in the exhibit before the Court.
The defence has ended the cross-examination of Mr Markwei Jnr, who is the second prosecution witness in the trial.
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