A-G had 'unplanned' meeting with Jakpa - Spokesman makes 5 big disclosures

Wilberforce Mensah, spokesperson at the Office of the Attorney-General, has insisted that his boss, Godfred Dame, did not act in an unethical and unprofessional manner when he met with an accused person in an ongoing trial.

He explained that even though the meeting happened without the presence of the accused person's lawyer; the circumstances surrounding the meeting necessitated that situation.

Speaking on The Probe show on Joy News (Sunday, May 26, 2024) Mensah affirmed among others that there had been only a single meeting between the A-G and Richard Jakpa, the third accused person in a high-profile financial crimes trial.

GhanaWeb picks out five major disclosures that he made about the issue:

1. The A-G met with Japka only once, which meeting took place at the residence of an unnamed Supreme Court Justice.

2. That the justice in question was meeting with Dame on a separate issue when Japka, a cousin of the Justice came in.

3. The meeting took place in the absence of the legal counsel of the accused. Mensah explained that at the time of the meeting, the accused did not have a substantive lawyer.

4. The meeting took place in April 2024, after the state had concluded its case and the two accused persons (Japka and Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson) were to open their defence as ordered by the Accra High Court.

5. The main crux of the meeting was a plea-bargaining deal Jakpa wanted but which the A-G had rejected on stated grounds.

Mensah stressed that during the meeting, Godfred Dame stuck with matters that were on public record, but also that the only advice he gave to the accused was to be truthful in court and avoid being evasive on issues.

TWI NEWS

A-G vs Jakpa: 'Dame's cup is full' - Sammy Gyamfi reiterates 'smoking gun' proof

Meanwhile, National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi, has reiterated the NDC's resolve to publish evidence that Attorney-General Godfred Dame was engaged in unethical, unprofessional conduct in the trial.

Sammy Gyamfi, in a May 26, 2024, post on social media alleged that the A-G and his assigns were doing all it takes to "preempt and create diversions to water-down the effect of the bombshell looming over Dame’s head."

He added: "They are desperate and will attempt to deceive, deflect and put out half-truths and complete red-herrings just to obfuscate the issues," but that the NDC will go ahead with providing evidence to prove Dame's misdeeds.

SARA