“I’m more than prepared, if the AG wants to go to the Supreme Court to appeal I will meet him there -Richard Jakpa
Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the high-profile ambulance trial, remains undaunted by Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame’s intent to appeal the Court of Appeal’s ruling that acquitted and discharged him and Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
The Attorney-General has indicated plans to challenge the judgment at the Supreme Court.
In a statement to journalists in Accra, Jakpa expressed his readiness to face any legal challenge posed by the Attorney-General, declaring himself fully prepared to contest the case in any court.
“I’m more than prepared, I’m always ready. If the Attorney-General wants to go to the Supreme Court to appeal against the ruling, I will meet him there. Even if he doesn’t win and he wants to go for a review, I will meet him there. Wherever he wants to go, I will meet him there; I don’t have an issue at all,” Jakpa asserted. He added that he feels vindicated and believes his detractors have been shamed by the Court of Appeal’s decision.
The Court of Appeal’s judgment overturned an earlier order by the trial court that required Dr. Forson to open his defense in the ongoing ambulance case. This decision followed the High Court’s June 6 dismissal of an application by Dr. Forson, who had sought a mistrial and an inquiry into the Attorney-General’s conduct during the trial.
Dr. Forson’s legal team had argued that the Attorney-General engaged in misconduct, citing a leaked audio recording purportedly revealing an attempt by the Attorney-General to coach Jakpa into implicating Dr. Forson. Despite these allegations, the trial judge initially ruled that there was no legal basis for a mistrial or an inquiry into the Attorney-General’s actions.
Following the High Court’s rejection, Dr. Forson filed an appeal, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal in a 2:1 majority decision, leading to the acquittal of both Dr. Forson and Richard Jakpa.
