We’re under pressure from some persons to discontinue the prosecution of Ato Forson -AG
The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice has revealed significant pressure from various sources to discontinue the ambulance purchase trial involving Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
This statement follows allegations made by the third accused, Richard Jakpa, during court proceedings.
Mr Jakpa claimed in open court that Attorney General Godfred Dame approached him multiple times, seeking his cooperation to implicate Dr. Ato Forson.
During cross-examination, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe admonished Richard Jakpa to provide direct answers, prompting a heated exchange. Richard Jakpa accused the Attorney General of contacting him at odd hours to solicit false testimony against Ato Forson.
In response, the Attorney General issued a statement clarifying that it was Mr Jakpa who had repeatedly requested plea bargaining through letters dated April 27, May 16, May 30, and June 12, 2023, which the Attorney General has not accepted.
“It is rather the third accused who, by various letters dated 27th April 2023, 16th May 2023, 30th May 2023 and 12th June 2023, has proposed to the Republic through the Attorney-General to engage in plea bargaining or plea negotiations. This plea bargaining proposal has, to date, not been accepted by the Attorney-General.
“Even though the law on plea bargaining passed by Parliament permits a prosecutor to negotiate with an accused person after a plea proposal has been made, the Attorney-General has not engaged the third accused person to give false testimony in the matter.
“The Attorney-General has also come under enormous pressure from all manner of persons for him to discontinue the prosecution of the 1st accused person, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, but has not yielded.”
Despite the plea bargaining law permitting negotiations after a proposal, the Attorney General emphasized that neither he nor his office has approached any accused person to obtain evidence or false testimony.
The Attorney General further asserted that these latest allegations are part of a broader scheme by the NDC to pressure him into dropping the prosecution or to divert attention from the substantive issues of the case, which involve significant financial loss to the state.
He reiterated his commitment to continuing the prosecution despite the pressure.
