Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi, a Supreme Court judge, together with Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General, must both suffer for their involvement in the matters arsing out of the ambulance purchase trial.
Martin Luther Kpebu, a private legal practitioner who is making this call says Ghana cannot accept what is contained on the tape containing the conversation between Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General, and Richard Jakpa, the third accused, where the Supreme Court judge has been involved.
Speaking on the KeyPoints Saturday, the renowned lawyer asserted that the scandals that have engulfed the Akufo-Addo administration has turned the state into a banana republic, citing the Cecilia Dapaah matter with the ambulance trial and others as examples.
According to the convenor of the ‘Kumi Preko’ reloaded demonstration, the A-G’s attempt to impress upon the third accused in the trial to falsify his account to get the first accused –Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson –jailed cements Ghana’s current state as a “banana republic”.
“As a nation, we can’t accept this tape, the actors in the tape cannot go unpunished. Dame has to suffer something for this, Yonny Kulendi too has to. Otherwise, then it means that we are just too weak as a society, banana republic, further confirmation, of course there have been several confirmation; the US$800m, the Cecilia Dapaah matter, the scandals… now it’s one-day, one-scandal. But this tape and what is playing in court further cements it that we are so partisan that when event the truth is staring us in the face, we’ll look in the political direction and that’s so bad,” Mr. Kpebu had indicated.
Mr. Kpebu’s comments follow the admission of a full WhatsApp conversation between the A-G and the third accused into evidence by the court, saying the development is an embarrassment to the state.
Background
An Accra High Court admitted into evidence, the full WhatsApp messages between Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the ongoing ambulance procurement trial and the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame. Richard Jakpa had earlier presented portions of the conversation to the court which was admitted.
However, the prosecution submitted the full chat which was accepted by the presiding judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, indicating the court cannot reject the full chat since it had earlier accepted portions of it which were presented by the third defendant, Richard Jakpa.
She, however, stated that the weight of the evidence presented could only be determined by the court.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, during proceedings on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, shed light on the significant number of messages the third accused sent in contrast to the few ones Mr. Dame responded to.
Mr. Jakpa admitted that he introduced himself to the Attorney-General before the trial and obtained the Justice Minister’s contact information through his cousin, Supreme Court Judge, Justice Yonny Kulendi.
Under cross-examination, he acknowledged that the messages presented in court did not represent the entire conversation but were selectively chosen for their relevance to his case.
Meanwhile, counsel for the defence, Thaddeus Sory, objected to the full conversation saying they would need more to review the messages thoroughly.
The court had earlier admitted into evidence, a tape containing a telephone conversation between the A-G and Mr. Jakpa, where Mr. Dame is accused of impressing upon Jakpa to falsify his testimony against the first accused, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Ambulance trial: High Court’s advice to Dame was an injunction, he can’t continue case – Dafeamekpor
