Justice Abdulai, a private legal practitioner and law lecturer at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Law School, has added his voice to the calls seeking the Attorney-General’s dismissal if he does not resign.
With his office being as hallowed as one of the few or the only one stated in the Constitution, although he is not expected to live beyond reproach, Justice Abdulai says ” naturally he should be able to live the kind of life that all of us should look at him with that level of reverence that the office deserves.”
His comments come on the back of an application filed by the third accused in the ongoing ambulance purchase trial, Richard Jakpa, seeking the A-G’s office to dismiss the charges against him after telling him (Jakpa) that he is not guilty of any of the charges against him.
In his witness statement, Mr. Jakpa testified under oath that the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has had several interactions with him, during which Dame assured him of his innocence and guaranteed his acquittal.
Jakpa further alleges that Dame informed him his inclusion in the prosecution was to disguise the true motive behind the trial.
He claims Dame initiated the action due to pressure from President Akufo-Addo and then Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to persecute Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the then-Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament and now Minority Leader.
Jakpa is requesting the court to allow him to testify to these matters and to be cross-examined.
Following the development, Justice Abdulai, speaking to Alfred Ocansey on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Thursday, May 30, 2024, he noted that the call from Jakpa to get his charges thrashed alone is enough grounds for the A-G to step aside.
According to him, Godfred Dame has done enough in seven years and the next six months will not alter anything in his career.
“So, if any of these issues are coming up today and the accuser has had the balls to literally file a sworn affidavit, a barrier of emotion in court, literally calling for the case against him to be dismissed, I have no shred of doubt that this is enough for the AG, the occupant, to step aside for the needful to happen. I mean, he’s done enough in the 7 years. I don’t think the next six months would do so much either to advance his career or to do anything on his career,” he stated.
According to Justice Abdulai, the A-G does not have to wait for public trial over his conduct to ascertain the truthfulness or otherwise in the allegations.
“And so, having had such a questionable issue come up, I do not think it is right for any of us to wait and see whether, I mean to play the wait-and-see card whether or not the accusation is true or false. I do not think he even deserves to go through that kind of trial within the public space, particularly because of this application having being filed,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the first accused, has filed a petition to the Chief Justice requesting for the remaining trial to be telecast live.
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