The High Court in Accra has directed Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, to file his witness statements by May 4, 2023, in the ongoing case in which he is accused of causing financial loss to the state over the purchase of some ambulances.
This follows an application by Ato Forson for leave to file nine witness statements as part of his defence.
The Minority Leader together with the other accused persons were expected to have filed their witness statements earlier to allow for a case management conference ahead of the opening of their defences.
But lawyers of Ato Forson in court on Tuesday indicated that their client was unable to have conferences with some of the witnesses who are outside the country.
Even though the presiding judge, Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, could not comprehend why the accused person did not leverage technology to get the witnesses to type, sign, scan and send over the witness statements to him, she approved the application for leave.
The other two accused persons Seth Anemana, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health and Richard Jakpa, a businessman have also revealed that they will call on 6 and 5 witnesses respectively as part of their defence.
The court also granted a disclosure application by Ato Forson for a warrant of payment which he claims details the person who authorized the payments
The case against Ato Forson is that he signed the letters of credit which formed the basis for the payment that resulted in the financial loss to the state
The court directed the state to make the disclosures by Friday, April 21 this year.
The case has been adjourned to May 9, 2023, for a case management conference.
The judge has, however, served notice that the matter will be completed by August 31 this year to enable her to focus on her role as a Court of Appeal judge.
