"This is a difficult question" was the response of Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, to a question posed by lawyers for former Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.

Lead Counsel for Dr. Forson was seeking to assess the Minister’s knowledge of documents in the custody of the Health Ministry.

The Minister is the fourth of the Attorney General’s five witnesses to be relied upon in the prosecution of the former Deputy Finance Minister and two others accused of causing a 2.3 million euros loss to the state in the purchase of ambulances.

Lawyers for Dr. Forson on Tuesday, August 30 challenged the testimony of the Health Minister.

Lead counsel, Dr. Abdul Aziz Bamba questioned the Minister on whether he reviewed all relevant documents before coming to testify.  The Minister replied that he reviewed documents he was privy to.

Dr. Bamba - "And before coming to testify, you reviewed relevant documents."

Health Minister- "I reviewed all documents that I sighted. Documents that I wasn’t privy to, I couldn’t have reviewed, I was not privy to.”

Dr. Bamba – "Do you know of any other documents at the Ministry of Health on the ambulance transactions that you did not review."

Health Minister -"This is a difficult question. How will I know them? Sorry my lord. You said I should not ask a question. I do not know of any".

Cross-examination of the Health Minister continues on Thursday, September 1.