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Dame said Nana Addo and Ofori-Atta were pressuring him to prosecute Ato Forson — Jakpa

Lawyers for Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the ambulance case, have filed an application in court seeking an order to strike out the charges against him or alternatively to stay the proceedings.

Godfred Dame

In his witness statement, Jakpa testified under oath that Attorney-General Godfred Dame had several interactions with him, during which he assured Jakpa of his innocence and promised his acquittal.

Jakpa further averred that Godfred Dame told him his inclusion in the prosecution was intended to mask the real intention behind the trial.

He claimed the instant action was instituted because President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and then Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta pressured Dame to prosecute the then-ranking Member for Finance and now Minority Leader, Ato Forson.

Jakpa is asking the court for an opportunity to testify about these matters and to be cross-examined.

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The release of this tape has stirred significant controversy and raised questions about the integrity of the legal proceedings against Dr. Forson, who faces charges of causing financial loss to the state in relation to the procurement of ambulances.

The tape, purportedly featuring conversations between the AG and the witness, suggests the witness was being instructed on how to frame his testimony to ensure Dr. Forson's culpability.

This development comes amid ongoing legal battles where Dr. Forson, a former Deputy Minister of Finance and current Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam, is accused of authorizing payments for defective ambulances, allegedly resulting in financial loss to the state.

The NDC has highlighted several key excerpts from the tape that they argue demonstrate clear attempts by the AG to influence the witness's testimony. Addressing the press on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, the National Chairman of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, asserted that the tape reveals a coaching session designed to influence Jakpa's court testimony.

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He emphasized that the alleged coaching was intended to shape Jakpa’s statements to implicate Dr. Forson.

In an audio recording played by the NDC, the Attorney-General sounded extremely ignorant about the ambulance case. He clearly entered the trial without any investigation or legal brief from the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the National Bureau of Investigation (NIB), or the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO). He allegedly begged Jakpa to testify in a certain way in court.

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