Ato Forson withdraws recusal application against judge

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the minority leader, has abandoned his request for the judge hearing his case to be recused for allegedly causing the State financial harm.

When summoned to advance his motion for the Judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe to disqualify herself, his attorneys emphasized this argument.

After receiving the witness summons he sought from the court, the former deputy finance minister who is accused of inflicting financial harm to the state submitted the application.

Even though several of his witnesses had given witness statements, including former health minister Alex Segbefia, his attorneys were having trouble getting them to attend in court. As a result, they urged the judge to issue witness summonses for some of their clients’ witnesses.

Before allowing the motion to be moved, the judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, questioned why they had to use a motion to compel the appearance of the witnesses while warning the attorneys for Dr. Ato Forson of the repercussions of issuing an arrest warrant for the witnesses in the event that they fail to appear.

Because it was challenging to secure their attendance to testify, his attorneys, lead by Dr. Bassit Bamba, maintained that this was the best course of action.

However, a few weeks after this motion was approved, Dr. Ato Forson’s attorneys asked the court for the judge to step down on the grounds that the reprimand she had issued amounted to bias. The attorneys claim that the judge’s caution was prejudiced and painted their witnesses in a negative light.

However, Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, who was in charge of Dr. Bamba’s legal representation, returned to court to request that the plea for recusal be withdrawn and did so.

As a result, the trial judge dismissed the motion as withdrawn.

In addition to other charges, Dr. Ato Forson is on trial with Sylvester Anemana, a former chief director at the Ministry of Health, and Richard Jakpa, a private businessman. They are accused of intentionally causing a financial loss to the state of €2.37 million through a contract to buy 200 ambulances for the Ministry of Health.

On February 14, 2023, the State, represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora-Obuobisa, and the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, summoned five witnesses and concluded its case.

Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu is one of the witnesses called by the state.

Determine whether the faulty automobiles were acquired in compliance with the purchase agreement approved by Parliament is the goal of the prosecution’s case.

The State also wants to know if Dr. Forson’s letter to the Controller and Accountant General ordering the creation of irreversible Letters of Credit (LCs), which led to the payments, was authorized by the Finance Minister in charge at the time or by any higher-ranking official.

The future legal year’s October 2, 2023, has been set aside for the lawsuit.