The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will hold separate press conferences today Tuesday, May 28 on the claim made against the Attorney-General Godfred Dame by the third accused in the Ato Forson trial, Richard Jakpa.
The NDC’s press conference which is scheduled to take place at 2PM will be addressed by National Chair Johnson Asiedu Nketia. A few hours later, the NPP, according to the flyer, will hold theirs at 4 PM and addressed by private legal practitioner Frank Davies.
The Minority Leader Dr. Ato Forson, Sylvester Anemana as well as private businessman, Richard Jakpa, are standing trial for willfully causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state through a contract to purchase 200 ambulances for the Ministry of Health, among other charges.
The state has, however, discontinued the case against Sylvester Amemana.
It is recalled that during court proceedings on Thursday, May 23, 2024, Mr Jakpa fumed at the Attorney-General for accusing him of defending Ato Forson, in his testimony.
The businessman, who was under cross-examination by counsel for the Minority Leader, had earlier been warned by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe to be direct in his responses rather than going around it and wasting the Court’s time.
Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, reacting to the judge’s caution, accused Richard Jakpa of defending the Minority Leader.
This triggered the third accused, who retorted that the Attorney-General appeared pained because he had engaged him to help the state make a case against Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
“The A-G has on several occasions engaged me at odd hours to help him make a case against A1 and I have evidence for that.. 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 when I’m here to defend myself,” Jakpa fumed in court.
However the A-G’s department said that the Republic has never required or desired the cooperation of any of the accused persons.
The Deputy A-G Alfred Tuah-Yeboah said this while revealing that Richard Jakpa, initiated plea bargaining through several requests to the state through the Attorney-General, Godfred Dame Yeboah.
The A-G said the plea-bargaining proposal has, to date, not been accepted. Tuah-Yeboah further stated that Mr Jakpa repeatedly requested to enter plea negotiations with the state.
In a statement issued last Thursday Mr Tuah-Yeboah, it emphasised that the state has not in any way engaged any of the accused persons to help the prosecution.
“The Republic has never required or desired the cooperation of any of the accused persons in the matter, in which it has already succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against all the accused persons. Neither the Attorney-General nor any officer from the Office of the Attorney-General has approached any of the accused persons with the view to obtaining evidence from them.
“It is rather the third accused who, by various letters dated 27th April, 2023, 16th May, 2023, 30th May, 2023 and 12th June, 2023, has 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,” excerpts of the A-G’s statement read.
“The Attorney-General has video evidence of the first accused, person, Cassiel Ato Forson, coming to meet him and to plead with him to discontinue the prosecution. This, the Attorney-General has refused to do.”
