Attorney General and Minister of Jusstice, Godfred Yeboah Dame
A private legal practitioner has criticized the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for continuing with a case despite the trial judge's advice to recuse himself.
In response, Mr. Dame clarified that the judge merely "advised" him to allow other attorneys to handle the case, not issuing a direct order.
"The judge herself, even after her ruling, clarified that she has not given any such order at all, but it is only advice," Mr. Dame told reporters outside the courtroom.
He insisted, "I am conducting the matter. I am still conducting the trial." He also pointed out that all the applications filed by the applicants had been dismissed.
"All the five applications have failed," he noted, adding, "It clearly shows that there are people in this country who manipulate facts, distort, and deceive the public. Today, they have been exposed."
Lawyer Twum Barimah, speaking in an interview on Accra 100.5 FM’s evening news on Thursday, June 6, 2024, scolded the Attorney-General.
"I would be surprised to see the A-G cross-examining Mr. Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the case and the gentleman who had accused the A-G of witness tampering in the case," he stated.
Mr. Barimah expressed the view that the Attorney-General lacks the integrity to cross-examine Mr. Jakpa and asserted that the judge’s advice was the best course of action.
Mr. Barimah noted that the Attorney-General is not the only lawyer at the Ministry, highlighting the presence of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), her deputies, and the Deputy Attorney-General, among others.
"These people are there to work, and they can do the work. Why is the AG behaving as if he is the only lawyer at the Ministry?" he questioned.
He also suggested that the Attorney-General’s refusal to heed the judge’s advice is indicative of his recalcitrant nature.
Mr. Barimah attributed these issues to a lack of leadership in the country, recalling that a Minister was previously cited in the Mabey and Johnson scandal, which resulted in his loss of the Minister of Health position.
He further mentioned that Victoria Hammah, a deputy minister, lost her job due to a private conversation on the phone.
