Professor of Law at the University of Ghana Law School, Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, is the latest to express concern over the Ghana Bar Association’s (GBA) silence on the Attorney-General’s (A-G) conduct on the ongoing ambulance trial case.
The A-G has been accused by Richard Jakpa, third defendant in the matter, alleging that the Mr. Dame has contacted him at odd hours to falsify his testimony against Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the first accused in the matter.
After the National Democratic Congress (NDC) providing some audio evidence to substantiate Mr. Jakpa’s claims, many have said the GBA should have come out to condemn the act.
Speaking on the KeyPoints on TV3 Saturday, June 01, 2024, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua said “the information that is coming out from what the Attorney-General said in the tape is worrying because it violates the ethics of the profession and it is clearly stated in the legal profession ethics that there are certain responsibilities placed on lawyers, whether acting as a counsel for the accused person, for a defendant, and as a prosecutor.”
Reiterating what the code of conduct of the profession contains, the University of Ghana Law Professor reiterated that “you are not supposed to influence tampering of information. You are not supposed to advise a party in the suit to engage in perjury and you are not supposed to suggest to another person to give evidence that will incriminate somebody, which is false.”
He explained that a falsified account cannot be same as a plea bargaining as efforts were being made to make it appear as such.
Prof. Appiagyei-Atua noted that Godfred Dame has dragged the name of the office he holds in the mud, criticising the GBA for not making any comments so far.
“So certainly the name of the Attorney-General’s office has been dragged in the mud and it’s something that should be of concern to all of us who are in the legal fraternity. And under normal circumstances, the Ghana Bar Association should even have issued a statement,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the NDC released what it claims to be an audio recording of a conversation between the Attorney -General, Godfred Yeboah Dame and the third accused person in the controversial ambulance purchase trial, Richard Jakpa.
This followed claims by the third accused, Richard Jakpa, that the Attorney-General had previously approached him to help build a case against the former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Mr Jakpa said in open court that the Attorney-General had on several occasions engaged him at odd hours to incriminate the first accused and Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson.
“If he pushes me, I will open the Pandora’s box. I don’t understand why the A-G will accuse me of defending A1 [Ato Forson] when I’m here to defend myself,” Mr Jakpa added during court proceedings on Thursday, May 23, 2024.
However, a statement signed by Deputy Attorney-General, Alfred Tuah Yeboah, dismissed the claims.
The office said Mr Jakpa is rather the one who “by various letters” on multiple occasions “proposed to the Republic through the Attorney-General to engage in plea bargaining or plea negotiations. This plea bargaining proposal has, to date, not been accepted by the Attorney-General.”
But at a press conference Tuesday, May 28, the NDC played a tape purportedly containing the voices of the two individuals, Mr. Dame and Mr. Jakpa.
The party said the 16-minute long audio, which the NPP at a press conference same day stated was doctored, is the first of many such pieces of evidence they would be releasing subsequently.
They also publicised supposed screenshots of WhatsApp chats between the third accused and the A-G.
