The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has expressed displeasure with the Attorney-General’s refusal to accept a plea bargain from one of the accused in the ongoing ambulance purchase trial.

According to him, the Office of the Attorney-General has decided to prosecute and secure a conviction against the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, and the third accused, Richard Jakpa, for allegedly causing financial loss to the state, which explains the refusal of the plea bargain.

Speaking on Top Story on Thursday, May 30, Mr Gyamfi highlighted the inconsistency in the Attorney-General’s stance stating that in the trial of the founder of the defunct Capital Bank, William Ato Essien, the Attorney-General’s Office had prosecuted and secured a conviction for stealing and money laundering, yet offered Mr Essien a plea bargain.

Thus, Mr Gyamfi questioned why a similar plea bargain was not accepted in the ambulance purchase case.

“Now these same people in this ambulance case, they have a proposal for a plea bargain from the company that was a beneficiary of the contract and the company says - if you say our ambulances are deceptive, no problem, we’re willing to fix it.

“We have actually shipped to you all the medical accessories, they have refused to clear the medical accessories since they arrived at the Tema port in October 2016. It’s been close to 8 years the accessories are there rotten so that they can make a case of woefully causing financial loss to the state against Ato Forson and Mr Jakpa.

He continued “The company says if you will not allow us to clear our medical supply - to address your concerns about laws, ship our ambulances to us let us give you your two billion Euros which you claimed you have lost - that one too, the A-G says we don’t want the money. This should just tell you that these guys have set out to witch-hunt, to victimised, and silence the Honourable Ato Forson.”

The Attorney-General has released the full details of plea bargain letters sent to his office by the third accused, Richard Jakpa, in the ongoing ambulance purchase case.

• Read also: AG releases plea bargain letters amid Ambulance Case drama

This action comes after Jakpa claimed in open court that Godfred Dame approached him multiple times, seeking his assistance to implicate the first accused, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.

Dismissing Jakpa's claims, the Attorney-General insisted that Jakpa had actually sent several letters requesting a plea bargain to drop all charges against the accused.

On the back of this, Mr Gyamfi asserted that there is no logic in the Attorney-General's refusal to accept the plea bargain, especially if the accused is willing to refund the money.

He referenced Article 296, which mandates that discretionary power should be exercised fairly and candidly.

The NDC Communications Officer further noted that if the Attorney-General was willing to settle through a plea bargain in the case of Ato Essien, which involved allegations of stealing and money laundering, it makes no sense to refuse a plea bargain in the ambulance purchase case.

“So that two million Euros, you claim somebody has caused financial loss to the state - the person says I’m willing to pay you your money, you say you don’t want it, what is the sense in that, then are you really interested in the loss,” he added.

Also speaking on the show, the Deputy Attorney-General, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah clarified that the Office of the Attorney-General was “fair and candid” in refusing the plea bargain request from one of the accused in the ongoing ambulance purchase trial.

Read also: Ambulance case: A-G was fair and candid in refusing plea bargain – Deputy AG

According to him, the discretion vested in the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame to either reject or accept such an offer was properly exercised.

“For that matter, we have no reservations or problems with regards to the decision taken by the Attorney-General as to rejecting the offer,” he said on Joy FM on Thursday, May 30.