Godfred Dame
Amanda Akuokor Clinton, Head of Chambers at Clinton Consultancy, has called for a public inquiry into coercion allegations leveled against Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame by the third accused, Richard Jakpa, in the ongoing Ambulance Trial.
Jakpa, in open court, accused the Attorney General of attempting to influence him to manipulate his testimony against the first accused and minority leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Subsequently, the opposition NDC released an audio recording of Mr. Dame conversing with the third accused over the phone. This development has intensified calls for the Attorney General to either resign or be dismissed. However, the Attorney General's office has clarified that the engagements with Jakpa pertained to his plea bargain request.
The governing NPP has dismissed the tape as doctored and rejected calls for Mr. Dame's removal.
Speaking on GhToday on GhOne TV with Lily Mohammed, Miss Clinton argued that playing the leaked audio at a public inquiry would serve the trial's best interests. She stated that such an inquiry would ascertain who initiated the coercion, allowing the case to proceed.
"It would benefit both sides if the audio were played at a public inquiry to determine who initiated the coercion," she emphasized.
Miss Clinton highlighted the leaked audio's significance in aiding the judge to deliver a fair verdict. She suggested that the political parties appoint an independent verifier to assess the tape's authenticity following the NPP's claim of doctoring.
"The recordings strike at the heart of the matter. If the NPP members claim the audio is illegitimate, it can be easily verified," she added.
Miss Clinton advised handling the case more transparently to maintain the bar's integrity and ensure justice. She referred to the 2024 practice direction on plea deals, which, in her opinion, should have guided the involved parties' conduct.
"We must not jeopardize the case's legitimacy. It would be prudent for the Attorney General to step aside for another prosecutor, and a public inquiry should assess whether his actions were morally justifiable," Miss Clinton asserted.
She maintained that such an inquiry would safeguard the justice system's sanctity.
"In the interest of justice and to protect the integrity of the bar and the Attorney General's department, this matter should be addressed in a sanitized manner at a public inquiry, not in the court of public opinion or for political point-scoring," she concluded.
