Ambulance Case: Ato Forson Endured Unprecedented Prosecutorial Misuse – Bright Simons

Bright Simons, Honorary Vice President of IMANI-Africa, has strongly criticized the prosecution of Dr. Ato Forson by the Akufo-Addo administration, calling it the most severe misuse of prosecutorial power in Ghana’s history.

Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine has previously withdrawn multiple high-profile cases involving officials from the former Mahama administration, including ex-NDC National Chairman Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, former COCOBOD CEO Dr. Stephen Opuni, and businessman Seidu Agongo.

Simons supported the Attorney General’s decision to discontinue Ato Forson’s case, asserting that his independent analysis exposed significant flaws in the prosecution’s approach.

“I support the decision to drop the Ato Forson case because, after conducting my own independent investigation, I found it to be the most egregious abuse of prosecutorial discretion this country has witnessed,” Simons stated in an interview with Joy FM.

He explained that the case revolved around a letter of credit—a financial tool used to mitigate transactional risks—and argued that such an arrangement should not have led to criminal charges.

Background

Dr. Ato Forson, a former Deputy Finance Minister in the Mahama administration, was prosecuted at the Accra High Court over allegations of causing a financial loss of €2 million in an ambulance procurement deal.

However, on July 30, 2024, the Court of Appeal acquitted and discharged him, ruling that there was no case against him. Following this, on January 24, 2025, the Attorney General formally ceased any further legal proceedings by filing a notice at the Supreme Court.

SOURCE: radiogoldlive.com