…Richard Jakpa explodes in courtroom, drops names, says Dame wanted by-election after Ato Forson jailed
The trial involving Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa, over the purchase of 200 ambulances, took an explosive turn yesterday at an Accra Economic and Financial High Court, when the third accused, unpacked details of clandestine meetings held with Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame.
According to Richard Jakpa, at one of the meetings in the residence of Justice Yonni Kulendi, Supreme Court judge, the Attorney-General, described Fantes from the Central Region, as “cheap” and easily pliable to the influence of money.
As of March this year, the third accused person revealed that the Attorney General at a meeting, was scavenging for a by-Parliamentary election in the Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency so wanted the case to conclude by May 2024, for the special polls which he was certain that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) was going to win through influencing voters with cash.
The Minority Leader, was to be jailed for at least one month to pave the way for a by-election.
According to Richard Jakpa, at one of the meetings held after a rancorous telephone conversation between him and the Attorney-General, he told him that he was under intense pressure from then Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and President Akufo-Addo, to ensure Ato Forson’s incarceration.
Both Dame and Justice Yonni Kulendi, are products of Akufo–Addo, Prempeh & Co, a private law firm partly owned by President Akufo-Addo, off Kojo Thompson Road in Accra.
Jakpa’s revelations, came after the trial judge, Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botchwey, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, had ruled that a pen drive containing a secretly recorded conversation between Mr Jakpa and the Attorney-General constituted admissible evidence.
Mr Jakpa, during cross-examination by counsel for the first accused, Dr Ato Forson, Dr Abdul Basit Bamba, told the court that at the said meetings, Mr Dame, impressed upon him to make damning testimonies against Dr Forson to secure his conviction.
Richard Jakpa, disclosed that he was told by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice that the criminal prosecution was mainly to get former Dr Ato Forson, an ex-deputy Finance Minister in the John Mahama administration jailed.
Mr Jakpa testified that the Attorney General insisted to him that the primary target of the case was the first accused, Dr Ato Forson.
According to Jakpa, at least four meetings were held between himself and Dame at the residence of Justice Yonn Kulendi, his cousin, adding the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in 2022, at least met him twice.
He explained that their meetings “both happened around 10:30 PM.”
He disclosed that he cooperated and shared documents with the Attorney General because he was assured a no-case application would be submitted to have him discharged afterwards.
Jakpa told the court that; “I got a call from my cousin Yonni Kulendi. He said the AG wanted to speak to me. The AG told me because I was unwell, he will be brief with me. The AG told me he needed my cooperation, and I asked what type of cooperation. Then the AG said I was fantastic in court the last time because I broke down the contract to the understanding of everyone in the court. The AG told me I shouldn’t talk about Sherry Ayittey’s letter, but I insisted that letter is an important document that I must present. The AG told me he will be presenting to me Parliamentary and Cabinet approval letters, and he will be asking me leading questions, all that I have to do is to answer yes”.
He continued that: “I got another call from Yonni Kulendi to come over to his house. I told him I didn’t want to meet the AG in his house. He assured me the AG had left. I drove slowly to Kulendi’s place and to my surprise, the AG was present. I got angry and told Kulendi that it was an ambush which I was not happy about”.
Jakpa further explained that: “The AG walked up to me and said, my brother, I can see you are angry, but all that I’m asking is for you to cooperate with me and you will be acquitted. Then I said I did not trust any of them in the room. My cousin Kulendi got angry because I said I didn’t trust any of them”.
Richard continued that: “I told the AG at Kulendi’s house that I will fight him and the judiciary till the last drop of my blood”.
He narrated that at one of the meetings, “He (AG) said the Finance Minister and the president are on my neck mounting pressure. They want this case to be finished by the first week in May”.
“I (Jakpa) asked him why the first week in May?
“Then he (AG) said you may not know but according to the Constitution, you cannot have a bye-election six to general election.
“So if I can cooperate with him and get Ato Forson just one month in Nsawam, his seat will be declared vacant and we will go for by-election.
“And I told him (AG) that going for a by-election in Central region how sure are you to win that election?”
“Then he said, Central region they are cheap, we will pump money in it and we will win the election.”
He said the AG said when they win the election the “NDC will come and beg us for pardon and we will use it to get our things to get through in Parliament.”
He added that: “I told him Central Region is NDC so how sure are you that you will win that by-election? The AG told me Fantes are cheap, they will pump money in and win that election”.
On the substantive allegations of financial loss in the purchase of ambulances, Richard Jakpa, refuted the claims and pointed out that it is the Akufo-Addo government through its former Health Minister, Kweku Agyeman Manu, that refused to clear medical equipment and accessories shipped in by Big Sea Trading Limited to fix in the ambulances which had arrived earlier.
Interestingly, the Akufo-Addo government through the same Kweku Agyemang Manu, procured over 300 ambulances which were distributed across the country with each of the 275 constituencies given one. The circumstances of that procurement process, is not clear.
He wondered how after leaving the medical equipment and accessories to rot at the Tema Port for eight years, the same government could turn around to allege loss against him and Dr Forson.
He further told the Court that Big Sea wrote to the Government of Ghana in 2015 to notify them that the ambulances which had arrived formed part of a consignment of 50 which needed to be delivered as the first tranche out of the total 200 as stipulated by its contract with the government of Ghana.
He clarified that in this letter written to then Health Minister Agyeman Mensah (not Manu) in 2015, Big Sea explained that the first batch of 30 ambulances that had arrived were to be cleared by the government for safekeeping, pending the arrival of all other fittings and accessories and their installation by Big Sea’s engineers, training of paramedics on their operations before formal hand over to the Ministry of Health.
This, Richard Jakpa explained was captured under warranty which indicated that any premature use of the Ambulances before these activities were carried out would invalidate the warranty.
He said that Big Sea stands ready to send a team of experts to complete the installation of equipment and training of personnel if the government of Ghana fulfilled its obligations to clear the medical equipment and accessories which were shipped in October 2016 under CIF arrangements.
He concluded that any claim about financial loss in respect of the Ambulance contract was false and totally misleading.
He accused the Akufo-Addo administration of deliberately refusing to clear the accessories in compliance with the terms of the contract it had with Big Sea, just so it could wage a political vendetta against him and Dr Forson.
The case was adjourned to Tuesday, 18th June for cross-examination of Jakpa by the Prosecution.
The third accused also stated that these meetings occurred deep in the night, suggesting a level of secrecy and urgency in their discussions.
He described the interactions as significant, as they shaped his understanding of his role and the direction of the case.
According to Jakpa, during these late-night meetings, Godfred Dame assured him that he was not the primary target of the prosecution.
He recounted how the Attorney General emphasised that the main focus of the case was Dr. Ato Forson, the Minority Leader.
This assurance, Richard Jakpa claimed, influenced his decision to cooperate fully with the Attorney General’s office, including sharing crucial documents and information with them.
The third accused added that he was led to believe he would be discharged at the submission of no case, which reinforced his willingness to assist.
The businessman further testified that as a result of these assurances, he was provided with the addendum to the main contract between the government of Ghana and Big Sea, even before the prosecution had officially closed its case.
This document, he added, played a critical role in the proceedings and in his involvement in the case.
The revelations made by Jakpa during his cross-examination have added a new dimension to the ongoing trial, further highlighting the interactions between the accused and the Attorney General, which senior lawyers are divided about with many calling for the Attorney-General’s resignation or dismissal by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo.
He added that he cooperated and shared documents with the Attorney General because he was assured a no-case application would be submitted to have him discharged afterwards.
Mr Jakpa further stated that this assurance led him to believe that the Attorney General would assist him, resulting in the AG providing him with the addendum to the main contract between the Government of Ghana and Big Sea even before the prosecution had closed its case.
The High Court admitted the audio recording between Richard Jakpa and Attorney General for the cross-examination of Richard Jakpa. This is after the Office of the Attorney General rejected the relevance of the audio to the main trial.
The judge, however, after reviewing the arguments for and against its admission ruled that it should be admitted enabling lawyers for Ato Forson to begin the cross-examining of Richard Jakpa on the audio.
The third accused recorded a telephone conversation with Godfred Dame, in which the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said was to coerce the accused to implicate Dr. Ato Forson.
Richard Jakpa defended his decision to do the recording.
The judge had ruled that the tape ruled that it did not contain instructions from Dame for Mr Jakpa to implicate Ato Forson.
The audio conversation was tendered as part of exhibits by Ato Forson in support of an application for mistrial he filed at the court.
Justice Afia Serwah Asare Botwe, in dismissing the application for mistrial, assessed the content of the recording, after dismissing the Attorney General’s objection to the tendering of the pen drive containing the audio.
The Judge noted that the conversation reveals an engagement between Richard Jakpa and Godfred Dame. However, the conversation does not support claims that the Attorney General asked Richard Jakpa to implicate Ato Forson.
She also found that the Attorney General did not make a statement that he needed the help of Richard Jakpa to implicate Ato Forson. She noted that those claims were rather made by Richard Jakpa.
According to Justice Afia Serwah Asare Botwe, those are rather the words of Richard Jakpa.
