Richard Jakpa, the businessman standing trial with the Minority Leader over an ambulance deal on Tuesday [July 2, 2024] explained why the ambulances were not fit for purpose.

“They (the ambulances) were not fit for purpose because a letter had been written instructing you [government] not to use them,” Richard Jakpa, the businessman told the High Court.

Winding up on his defence under the cross-examination of the Attorney-General, the businessman told the trial court that the first 10 ambulances that arrived at the port were only meant to be parked and not for use.

He added that the letter requested the Ministry of Health to take urgent steps to clear and transfer the ambulances to a safe parking space.

Following the directive, he said his principal, Big Sea Trading LLC, was supposed to bring in professionals to train government’s paramedics on the use of the ambulance and its equipment.

He further disagreed with the prosecution’s claim that a post-delivery inspection rendered the ambulances as not fit for purpose.

Richard Jakpa declined to state whether the contract covering the deal in favour of Big Sea Trading LLC received both parliamentary and cabinet approval. 

The Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame who cross-examined the businessman asked whether the contract between Big Sea and government received either cabinet or parliamentary approval.

The accused said, “I am not in the position [to answer] because I was not at the Ministry of Health neither was I responsible for sending all these for approval. I can’t confirm that for the A-G because I don’t work at parliament and don’t know how they communicate their approval.”

The A-G further showed cabinet’s approval letter to the accused to determine whether it approved the contract for the ambulances in favour of Big Sea.

But Jakpa in his response said, “I am not an MP and I don’t know how they communicate”.