The third accused person in the ongoing ambulance trial, Richard Jakpa, has stated that the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Dame, told him he was collateral damage in the case involving the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
According to him, AG assured him that he would ultimately be acquitted at the end of the trial as he wasn’t the intended target of the “persecution.”
During a dramatic court session on Thursday, June 20, Jakpa threw more light on the nature of his conversations with the Attorney General, suggesting a candid exchange between the two parties involved in the high-profile legal proceedings.
He added that Dame’s remark implied that while he might currently be in the dock, he would eventually be cleared of any wrongdoing.
Jakpa also said he privately met with the Attorney-General to advocate for his acquittal, asserting his innocence.
During the cross-examination by Director of Public Prosecutions Yvonne Attakorah Obuobisa, Jakpa revealed that he had contacted the A-G to express gratitude for assisting in securing his bail. He recounted that, along with the first accused, Dr Ato Forson, they were innocent, and the only individual with a case to answer was Dr. Sylvester Anemana.
Jakpa reiterated that the A-G assured him that the primary target was the first accused, Ato Forson, but promised to get Jakpa acquitted at the submission of no case stage.
Furthermore, Jakpa implicated former Finance Minister Seth Terkper and Sherry Ayittey, attributing the current state of affairs to their actions. He recalled a 2017 interview on Joy FM where he discussed Terkper’s alleged sabotage of the ambulance project.
“In 2017 I went on Joy FM to discuss how Seth Terkper had sabotaged the ambulance trial. Ato Forson called in to defend his boss and I exchanged words with Ato Forson and told him to stick to his parliamentary work because Hon Seth Terkper started sabotaging this project right from the time he was Deputy Minister of Finance.”
“I told him on the radio to get his boss to come and respond to me. I told the Attorney-General that because of this as of July 17, 2022, he should make me the prosecution witness to expose Seth Terkper and Sherry Ayittey,” Jakpa noted.
By: Ekow Annan/newsalertgh.com
