Selective injustice: A damning allegations against the Attorney General, Godfred Dame

The integrity of the justice system has been called into question following allegations of selective injustice by the Attorney General, Godfred Dame. The third accused person in the ongoing trial between The Republic versus Atto Forson and Richard Jakpa over causing financial loss to state of €2.37 million in the purchase of 30 ambulances out of the 200 targeted for the country between 2014 and 2016. The third accused person Mr. Richard Jakpa made a shocking claim that the Attorney General attempted to influence justice processes to implicate the first accused person, Dr. Atto Forson who double as the minority leader in parliament and member of Parliament of Ghana representative of Ajumako Enyan Asiam.

According to the third accused, the Attorney General made several phone calls to him and met him physically, asking him to skew his testimony in exchange for favorable treatment. This allegation is not only serious but also raises questions about the impartiality of the justice system. He said this when he mounted the witness box to be Cross-examined or testify to the court of his side of the story, even under Orth and asked the judge to put it on record, this clearly means that there is a weight that the message contains and he actually mean it because he has the evidence to buttress it.

What then happens when it found out to be false that the AG hasn't engage in such illegality because there's is no legal evidence to buttress his claims, then he can be charged of perjury and falsified testimony and broken the court's oath. This would be a serious breach of legal ethics and a violation of the public's trust which is unconditional.

On the other hand, if the learned Attorney General Godfred Dame who is a celebrated and a seasoned lawyer for that matter, can do such a felonious thing knowing the legal repercussions surrounding it. Mr. Richard Jakpa, third accused person wrote to his office for a plea bargain "without prejudice" , which is legally accurate, The Plea Bargain Act, 2020 (Act 1083) aims to promote efficient justice, reduce case backlog, and encourage cooperation between the prosecution and accused persons. It gives the every accused person the authority to apply for plea bargain, which means, they have agreed they are at fault and they are ready to pay the loses upfront and shouldn't be prosecuted or sentenced. He with his lawyers wrote to your office three times last year, and you turn down his offer saying that you are going to pursue the trial to attain it logical conclusion and if he's found guilty he will be prosecuted and jailed.

Following this battle with the AG and Mr. Richard Jakpa over his plea bargain case and the Attorney General later go to the same person for help to make a case, allegedly calling him odd hours giving him legal direction, so he can skew his testimony in court in order to go Scott free whilst implicating his colleague who is on the same trial, does that make sense!!!! Did attorney general forget that he has turned down the offer for this same person who applied to his office seeking for a plea bargain. If you needed a help in order to establish a prima facie case to prosecute Atto Forson, he shouldn't be the right person to go because you have hurt him before, by rejecting his plea bargain letters submitted to your office on three occasions.

Additionally, how can the Attorney general having the great experience in law could bring down himself to that level calling accused person who is on a trial on phone not forgetting that you rejected the same person's offer just last year. He Godfred Dame doesn't know phone calls can be recorded and can be used against him?? ridiculous!!!! So if truly the learned attorney general has actually engaged in this with the third accused person, I am literally amused and highly flabbergasted coming from a respected lawyer who had over decades of experience in law.

Le see what unfold in the coming weeks, because the Attorney general has responded to the NDC and the third accused person that those statements made by the third accused person Mr Richard Jakpa is frivolous and should be disregarded, whiles Richard Jakpa docket is in the law court because he asked to be kept on record and that he has an evidence to juxtapose his claims. On Tuesday the NDC says they have a press conference which according to them the evidence will be shown. Interesting times ahead isn't it??

By Abdul Kamaldeen Vemmie.