Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Minority Leader
The High Court in Accra has dismissed an application by Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, seeking a mistrial and an investigation into the conduct of the Attorney General in the ongoing ambulance case.
The trial judge ruled that Forson had not demonstrated any statutory provisions that would justify a mistrial or an inquiry into the Attorney General's actions, citinewsroom.com reports.
On Monday, June 3, Dr. Ato Forson filed a supplementary affidavit supporting his motion for a mistrial, injunction, and/or stay of proceedings in the ambulance case against him and two others.
The Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam legislator’s legal team cited a leaked tape between Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame and the third accused, Richard Jakpa.
The tape allegedly revealed Dame attempting to coach Jakpa to implicate Dr. Ato Forson in the trial.
In their affidavit, Forson's lawyers argued that the Attorney General had misconducted himself and for that reason, they had called for the prosecution to be declared a mistrial.
“It has become necessary to file this affidavit to bring to the attention of the Court, and in the interest of justice, certain pertinent, material, and relevant matters that have a bearing on the fair and just determination of the current application," the affidavit stated.
Forson also claimed that he had recently listened to a widely-circulated recording in the media depicting a conversation between the Attorney General and the third accused discussing evidence to be presented at the trial.
His counsel intended to seek the court's permission to play the recording in open court.
The Minority Leader argued that not declaring a mistrial under such circumstances, where there seems to be a blatant disregard for the rule of law and ethical prosecution standards by the Attorney General, could significantly undermine public confidence in the judicial process.
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