Attorney General Directed To Recuse Himself From Ambulance Procurement Case
- Attorney General Godfred Dame has been asked to recuse himself from the ambulance procurement case
- This follows allegations and a leaked tape suggesting that he had misconducted himself in the ongoing trial
- Meanwhile, the court refused to establish an inquiry into Dame's conduct stating it had no legal basis to do so
High Court Judge Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe has directed the Attorney General to recuse himself from the ongoing ambulance procurement case.
Justice Asare-Botwe gave the directive today, June 6, 2024, in response to allegations of professional and prosecutorial misconduct against the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, following a leaked phone call between the attorney and the third defendant.
Source: Getty Images
In the leaked phone call, the Attorney General is allegedly heard coaching the third defendant to implicate the first defendant in the case.
The first and third defendants in the case, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Japka, had filed separate applications demanding that Dame be investigated and the case be terminated, among other things.
Following Justice Asare-Botwe’s directive, Godfred Dame attempted to resist the recusal, but the judge was adamant in her stance.
However, she dismissed Dr Ato Forson's application for a mistrial and directed him to submit his grievances to the General Legal Council.
Despite Dame's protests, the leaked tape between Attorney General Godfred Dame and Richard Jakpa has been admitted as evidence in the case.
Dame will not be investigated
Justice Asare-Botwe also dismissed the application for an inquiry into the Attorney General’s conduct in the ambulance procurement case.
She argued that there is no legal basis to sanction a public inquiry into the Attorney General’s conduct.
Dr Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa are on trial for allegedly causing the state a €2.37 million financial loss by purchasing 200 ambulances for the Health Ministry during the erstwhile Mahama administration.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General's recusal is the first time a Ghanaian court has done so due to misconduct allegations.
Godfred Dame speaks about the leaked tape
YEN.com.gh reported that Attorney General Godfred Dame has responded to the leaked recording of him and Richard Jakpa, which suggests he tried to fabricate evidence against Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson in the ambulance case.
After his first appearance in court since the audio was aired, Dame took a faith-based approach to his troubles.
After his first appearance in court since the audio was aired, Dame took a faith-based approach to his troubles.
“All I can say is that the Lord does not delight in the pleasure of the wicked. Even though they have laid traps for me, I will flee from them. And righteousness will always prevail over evil,” he added.
Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
