The largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame of scheming to jail the Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson at all costs.
This follows claims by Richard Jakpa, the third accused person in the ambulance purchase trial, that the Attorney-General approached him to implicate Dr Ato Forson, the former Deputy Finance Minister.
Jakpa’s explosive claims were made in court today during cross-examination where he stated, “The A-G has on several occasions engaged me at odd hours to help him make a case against A1, and I have evidence for that. If he pushes me, I will open the Pandora’s box. I don’t understand why the A-G accuses me of defending A1 when I’m here to defend myself.”
Speaking to the media moments after Thursday’s court proceedings, the NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi disclosed the overtures being made by the AG and the calls to the third accused person at odd hours all in an attempt to get incriminating testimony against the Minority Leader.
“We have explained countless times why we believe Hon. Ato Forson is innocent and that this case is unnecessary. The Minority Leader has presented and concluded his case. Currently, the third accused is being cross-examined by the lawyers for the Minority Leader, who is the first accused.”
“We were all in court to monitor the proceedings, but we were shocked to the core when the third accused, under cross-examination, disclosed to the court that the Hon. Attorney-General had been reaching out to him, calling him over the phone and meeting him in person.”
“The Attorney-General has been asking him to give false testimony to the court and skew his testimony in a way that corroborates the AG’s case against the first accused, so the first accused can be convicted and jailed. He said this in open court.”
In a follow-up press statement, the NDC’s Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah expressed grave concern over what it perceives as persecution against Dr. Forson.
“The NDC is deeply scandalised by this clear case of persecution against the Leader of the party’s Caucus in Parliament who has been at the forefront of our struggle against the misrule of the oppressive and despotic Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP regime,” the statement said.
“It further shows the desperate lengths the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government will go to manipulate judicial processes to unjustly victimise political opponents for cheap political goal-scoring.”
Mr Nketia added, “It also confirms the lack of integrity of the dishonourable Attorney-General and the extent to which he goes to pervert the course of justice.”
