Speaker Bagbin describes Ato Forson trial as ‘persecution’

The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has described the trial of the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson in the ambulance case as ‘persecution’.

He stated that the law must be made to work but not in the form of a ‘gamble’ which he said is happening in the case against Dr Ato Forson.

Mr Bagbin said these when he visited the spouse and family of the Late Former Majority Leader in Parliament, Felix Kwasi Owusu-Adjapong to commiserate with them.

Speaking to the Family on Thursday, October 19, the former Nadowli/Kaleo lawmaker said “The Majority Leader [Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu] indicated to me that he had to come ahead, he had some challenges to attend to in Kumasi so he will not be available.

“The Minority Leader, unfortunately, is being persecuted so on a number of these occasions he can’t be with us because he is appearing in court, as of now, he is in court being tried. It is not that we don’t want the rule of law to apply, we all want it to apply but where prosecution is just a gamble, ‘I may win or I may not win but let me do it’, I will not prescribe that for any politician because as a leader you always have to take the risk, you could get it right, you could get it catastrophically wrong.”

“Could you be prosecuted because of that? Then there will be tribulation, nobody will have the courage to come out boldly and take decisions where things are really hard.”

Regarding the trial of Dr Forson and two others, Former Finance Minister Seth Terkper appeared in court on Thursday, October 19 to testify as the star witness for the Defense.

He told the Economic and Financial Court in Accra that he fully authorized his then Deputy, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, to write to the Bank of Ghana, requesting for Letters of Credit to be set up in favour of Big Sea General Trading Ltd of Dubai, for the supply of 30 ambulances.