A private legal practitioner, Nana Yaw Osei, has described the allegations leveled by an accused person against the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, as “dangerous” in the ongoing ambulance procurement trial.

The allegations aim to incriminate the Minority Leader, prompting calls for broader investigations.

According to Osei, it is “dangerous and surprising” for a police officer to instruct an arrested person to lie against someone in order to get that person into trouble.

Osei further explained that it is inappropriate for a plaintiff to communicate with an accused person or witness and suggest that they incriminate someone, whether in criminal proceedings or not.

Lawyer Nana Yaw Osei

Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the trial, claimed that the Attorney-General had previously approached him to help build a case against the Minority Leader and former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.

During cross-examination by the Minority Leader’s counsel, Jakpa was cautioned by the trial judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, to be direct in his responses and avoid wasting the court’s time.

Lawyer’s Perspective
Nana Yaw Osei, speaking in an interview with Millicent Safo-Adu on Bresosem at ABUSUA965FM, explained that the Attorney-General is the lawyer for the state and represents all lawyers in Ghana. Therefore, it is not appropriate for the plaintiff to meet the accused behind closed doors, as this would mean the Attorney-General has “disgraced himself and the profession as a whole” if the allegations are true.

Nana Yaw Osei further stated that given the weighty nature of the allegations and how it affects the country’s criminal justice system, “if the third accused, Jakpa, is able to provide concrete evidence to prove his case, it would mean that the Attorney-General has been telling lies in the courtroom”.

He encouraged Richard Jakpa(third accused) to provide all the relevant evidence at the next sitting of the case, warning that if he fails to do so, it would mean he has not helped himself.

Allegations and Responses

Responding to the Attorney-General’s allegations that he has video of the first accused, Ato Forson, coming to meet him and pleading for the prosecution to be discontinued, Osei said it is not surprising if a police officer arrests someone and the person apologizes.

He explained that the intentions of people apologizing when they are in trouble are varied, and the person may do so to avoid the “name-calling, the stress, the cost” rather than admitting fault.

Again, Osei also stressed that if the Attorney General thinks he is under enormous pressure all manner of persons for him to discontinue the prosecution of the first accused, Cassiel Ato Forson, ‘he should name those mounting pressure on him’.

Meanwhile, both the Attorney General, first and third accused have threatened to release further evidence to fortify their cases.

Background:
Dr. Forson, a former Deputy Finance Minister, and two others are on trial for allegedly causing financial loss to the state through the importation of 30 ambulances. This forms part of a 2012 contract between the Ministry of Health and Dubai-based firm,

Big Sea Limited, for the purchase of the ambulances.
The prosecution claims Dr. Forson issued letters of credit without authorization from his then-boss, Finance Minister Seth Terkper. However, Mr. Terkper testified in court that he did indeed authorize Dr. Forson to establish the letters of credit. Despite this testimony, the case continues, with the third accused, Richard Jakpa, currently being cross-examined.

By: Kwadwo Owusu