Ambulance contract: Richard Jakpa denies receiving 50% of the €2.37m paid

Richard Jakpa, a businessman standing trial in the €2.37 million defective ambulance trial, has denied that his company received about 50 per cent of the amount paid by the government to Big Sea under the contract.

During cross-examination by Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, Jakpa said he received no such amount, adding that the claim by Godfred Dame was false.

The Attorney-General alleged that Jakpa received approximately 50 per cent of the total amount paid by the government under the ambulance contract with Big Sea Company Ltd.

This, he claimed, was the reason Jakpa did not deliver genuine ambulances to the country.

Jakpa responding to the Dame said the allegation is untrue.

He stated that Big Sea incurred a significant loss on the contract.

He said My Lord, what the prosecution is alleging is completely false, and clarified that the contract went through various stages of approval and negotiations with the government over several years, noting that the first proposal was submitted in 2010.

This contract, exhibit V, was drafted by the government, and the valuation for the cost of the ambulances was done by the government.

After the Ministry had satisfied itself that they were getting value for money, they proceeded to the Cabinet. The Cabinet did its due diligence and was also satisfied.

After the Cabinet, the specifications proceeded to Parliament. The Health Committee of Parliament sat on this ambulance project, thoroughly examined the technical specifications, and compared them to the cost that the Cabinet had approved.

He argued that the Health Committee in Parliament had also approved the contract and forwarded it to the plenary session.

At the plenary, both NPP, his own government, and the NDC voted for it according to their own consciences after thoroughly perusing the technical specifications, he noted.

Jakpa added that the cost and specifications had undergone all the necessary statutory approval processes, including a review by the PPA, which is responsible for comparing the cost against the specifications and approving.

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