Businessman Richard Jakpa is fighting off allegations of unduly benefiting from the government in the controversial ambulance transaction currently in court.

According to Mr Jakpa, it was Big Sea Company Ltd that rather incurred losses in the process.

This issue arose during his cross-examination at the Accra High Court on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

During the previous hearing, Mr Jakpa was accused of causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in an ambulance deal.

At the time, he insisted that as an agent, his company only received 28.7% of the amount paid by the government to Big Sea under the ambulance contract.

In today’s cross-examination, the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, followed up on this matter.

The Minister for Justice claimed that the third accused and Big Sea Company Ltd “received about 50% of the total sum of €2.3m paid under the ambulance contract as profit and that is why you didn’t deliver to the nation genuine ambulances.”

But Mr Jakpa would have none of that. He insisted that “what the prosecution is alleging is completely false.”

He explained that, “this project went through various stages of approval, negotiations with government over years. In fact, the first proposal was submitted in 2010. The Ministry has experts in ambulance specifications. This contract, Exhibit V, was drafted by government and the valuation for the cost of the ambulances was done by government.”

• Read also: My company received 28.7% of the €2.37m ambulance deal – Richard Jakpa

Mr. Jakpa continued that, “After the ministry had satisfied itself that they were getting value for money they proceeded to cabinet. Cabinet did its due diligence and were also satisfied. After Cabinet, the specifications proceeded to Parliament. The Health Committee of Parliament sat on this ambulance project and thoroughly examined the technical specifications and compared them to the cost that Cabinet had approved.

“The Committee on Health in Parliament also approved it and forwarded to the plenary of Parliament. At the plenary, both NPP, his own government, and the NDC voted for it according to his own conscience after thoroughly perusing the technical specifications.”

Mr. Jakpa stressed that the cost and the specifications went through all approval processes including the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

The ongoing trial involves a former Deputy Minister of Finance and the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, alongside a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Sylvester Anemana, and Richard Jakpa.

They have been accused of causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in a deal to purchase 200 ambulances for the country between 2014 and 2016.

Dr. Forson, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Esiam and the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, faces charges alongside his co-accused.

On November 19, 2012, Mr Anemana is said to have written to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) seeking approval to engage Big Sea through single sourcing for the supply of 200 ambulances.

By an agreement dated December 19, 2012, the Ministry of Health formally contracted Big Sea General Trading, based in Dubai, for the supply of 200 Mercedes Benz ambulances at a contract sum of €15.8 million, with a unit price of €79,000.

The delivery terms stipulated that the first batch of 25 vehicles should be delivered within 120 days of the agreement, with the remaining 175 vehicles to be delivered in batches of 25 every 30 days.