The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Honorable Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has strongly criticized the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame over his alleged misconduct involving, the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson in the Ambulance trial.
Mr Nketiah, in a press conference, while highlighting the innocence of the former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr Ato Forson in the ongoing trial, accused the Attorney General of unprofessional and criminal conduct, undermining the administration of justice in Ghana.
“As a law-abiding political party, we have restrained ourselves from commenting on this matter publicly. This is because we respect the principle that matters pending in court should not be commented on in a manner that prejudices the outcome. We therefore have no intention of doing so today.
“However, in the light of repeated falsehoods, deliberate misrepresentations and distortions churned out by Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame and NPP propagandists, we are compelled to correct certain misconceptions in the public domain about the said ambulance transaction and situate this discussion in its proper context
Hon. Johnson Asiedu Nketia National Chairman, NDC
The National Chairman of the opposition party began his defence of the Minority Leader and former Deputy Minister of Finance by describing the allegations levelled against him as repeated falsehoods and distortions propagated by Mr Dame and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr Nketiah stated that the case against Dr Ato Forson revolves around the purchase of ambulances by the Ministry of Health during the previous NDC’s administration, in which Dr Forson, the then Deputy Minister of Finance, is accused of causing financial loss to the state by allegedly authorizing Letters of Credit without proper authorization from the Finance Minister at the time, Honorable Seth Terkper.
However, Honorable Asiedu Nketiah vehemently refuted the allegations, citing court records where Mr Terkper testified under oath that he gave Dr Forson express authorization to initiate the Letters of Credit.
This authorization, according to Mr Nketia, was corroborated by the seal of the Ministry of Finance on the pertinent documents.
Furthermore, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress asserted that in addition to Mr Terkper’s authorization of Dr Ato Forson’s issuance of the letters of credit, the then Attorney General advised that setting up the Letters of Credit was crucial to avoid potential lawsuits from Big Sea Trading Limited, the Dubai-based supplier of the ambulances.
Claims of Misrepresentation
Mr Nketia also denounced claims by Mr Dame and some members of the ruling party that the NDC government under former President John Dramani Mahama imported ordinary vans falsely labelled as ambulances.
Displaying photos of the first 30 ambulances delivered in 2015, he argued that those vehicles arrived fully equipped, adding that there was a bill of lading dated October 8, 2016, showing a shipment of medical equipment intended for those ambulances, which has remained unclaimed at the Tema port for eight years due to the current government’s negligence.
He accused the New Patriotic Party administration of allowing the ambulances to deteriorate, thereby fabricating a financial loss to implicate the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Ato Forson unjustly.
“It, therefore, makes no sense that after refusing to do this simple task and allowing the ambulances to deteriorate for 8 years, Godfred Dame would turn around to persecute Hon. Ato Forson for allegedly causing financial loss to the State, when that loss has been clearly occasioned by the deliberate negligence of the government he represents”
Hon. Johnson Asiedu Nketia National Chairman, NDC
Political Persecution
Moreover, the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah contended that the prosecution of Dr. Forson is politically motivated, which was deliberately instigated by the government to silence Dr Ato Forson’s critical stance against the government’s 2022 budget, the E-levy, and its economic mismanagement.
Mr Nketiah, however, accused the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, of engaging in professional misconduct and criminal activities in the ongoing trial involving the Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson.
During the press briefing, Mr Nketiah recounted the incident that occurred on Thursday, 23rd May 2024, during the cross-examination of the 3rd accused person, Richard Jakpa, by counsel for Dr. Ato Forson.
According to Mr Nketiah, Mr Jakpa’s accusations under oath, alleging Mr Dame contacted him [Richard Jakpa] at odd hours to persuade him to falsely testify against Dr. Forson was not challenged by the Attorney-General, Mr Dame.
Touching on the opposition party’s compelling evidence supporting Mr Jakpa’s accusations, Mr Nketiah posited that its evidence includes a series of recordings where Mr Dame is heard coaching Jakpa to provide false testimony against the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
He indicated that the first recording, a 16-minute conversation from 9th April 2024, allegedly captured Mr Dame urging Mr Jakpa to skew his answers to benefit the prosecution, despite Mr Jakpa’s resistance and concerns about the dishonesty involved.
“In sharp contrast to his earlier claim that he has never met any of the accused persons, the Attorney-General now claims that he has actually contacted and met the 3rd Accused, Richard Jakpa, but that he met him only once at the residence of a Supreme Court Judge and that this meeting was not at his behest but rather at the behest of a sitting Supreme Court judge who entrapped him. Ladies and gentlemen, all these claims by the Attorney-General through his spokesperson are lies, and we have evidence to prove so.
“In addition to the voice recordings, we have other evidence by way of screenshots of chats on WhatsApp between Godfred Dame and Mr. Jakpa which further prove that the Attorney-General contacted a represented person without recourse to the represented person’s lawyer. The chats further show that it was Godfred Dame who chose to meet Richard Jakpa at the house of the Supreme Court Judge (Project WhatsApp Exhibit 1)”.
Hon. Johnson Asiedu Nketia National Chairman, NDC
Mr Nketiah thus accused Mr Dame of violating several rules of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 2020 (L.I. 2423), including improper communication with a represented party, failing to act honourably as a prosecutor, and advising a witness to give false evidence against an accused person.
These actions, Mr Nketiah argued, also constitute the criminal offence of fabricating evidence under sections 213 and 214 of the Criminal and Other Offenses Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Given the severity of the allegations, Mr. Nketiah among many demands called for the immediate resignation or dismissal of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame.
The National Democratic Congress also called for the immediate prosecution of Mr Dame for multiple violations of the laws of Ghana, adding that if President Akufo-Addo failed to prosecute him, a future NDC government would prosecute Mr Dame for such a “heinous crime” of alleged fabrication of evidence.
The opposition party, in addition, called for the commencement of disciplinary proceedings by the General Legal Counsel against Mr Dame and his disbarment for conduct unbecoming of a lawyer and more importantly the leader of the Ghana Bar.
Finally, the National Democratic Congress advocated for a publicly televised Parliamentary inquiry into Mr Dame’s conduct and other reports of judicial manipulation to censure Mr Dame to prevent the recurrence of such judicial manipulations.
The National Chairman for the opposition party concluded by stressing the implications of these revelations on the integrity of the ongoing trial and the justice system in Ghana.
“Friends from the media, it is clear from the incontrovertible evidence we have adduced today, that the government has no evidence of wrongdoing against the Minority Leader but is only involved in fabrications to persecute him as retribution for his strong opposition to the economic mismanagement and general misrule of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government”.
Hon. Johnson Asiedu Nketia National Chairman, NDC
He called for immediate action to restore credibility to the Attorney-General’s office and ensure that justice is served fairly.
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