Private legal practitioner and a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Kwame Jantuah, has observed that the judge sitting on the ongoing ambulance purchase trial, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, should have requested further evidence from the third accused person, Richard Jakpa, to substantiate his allegations against the Attorney-General, Godfred Dame Yeboah.
Mr Jakpa said in open court that the Attorney-General had severally engaged him at odd hours to incriminate the first accused and Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
During court proceedings on Thursday, May 23, 2024, Mr Jakpa fumed at the Attorney-General for accusing him of defending the Minority Leader in his testimony.
“The A-G has on several occasions engaged me at odd hours to help him make a case against A1 [Ato Forson] 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 will accuse me of defending A1 [Ato Forson] when I’m here to defend myself,” Jakpa fumed.
According to TV3’s court reporter, Laud Adu-Asare, who was in court, Justice Asare-Botwe called the Attorney-General and lawyers of Ato Forson into her chambers for a meeting that lasted for about 30 minutes.
Moreover, the A-G’s office responding to the allegations in a statement signed by Deputy Attorney-General Alfred Tuah Yeboah, stated, among other things, that the state has not engaged any of the accused persons to prosecute the case.
However, Mr Jantuah maintained that the judge could have gone further for the accused to adduce evidence of the allegations as they were made in open court.
This, he said, would have helped the court ascertain which party is being “economical with the truth” and who is telling the truth in the trial.
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“…I was a bit surprised with the judge I do not know what was said in chambers when the judge called both of lawyers. But the accusations that are being made by Jakpa and the response by the Attorney-General under oath need evidence and I expected the judge to tell both parties to produce the evidence of what they’re saying to get down to the truth.
He argued that evidence should be adduced in open court as the accusations were made publicly.
“They’ve said what they said in open court, haven’t they? and the evidence should be said in chambers?” he said on The Big Issue segment of TV3 New Days on Friday, May 24.
“The Attorney-General has come and put out a statement, so it that is the case bring the evidence out in open court and let’s see who is speaking the truth or who is lying,” he said, arguing that, “because somebody’s life is on the line and everybody is innocent until proven guilty.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Jantuah advised the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to shelve their intended press conference on the matter, emphasising that they should take whatever evidence in their possession to the court.
“Let me say something about the NDC and their press conference, the case is still in court if you have any evidence towards this case, take it to court I don’t think you should have a press conference when a case is actually live in court,” he stated.
