Private legal practitioner Bobby Banson has advocated for the Attorney General to appeal the acquittal of Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa in the ambulance procurement trial, emphasizing the significance of such an action for democracy and the rule of law.
Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, recently announced his intention to challenge the Court of Appeal’s verdict in the ambulance case, which exonerated the Minority Leader and the third accused on July 30.
The Court of Appeal, in a 2:1 decision, overturned the trial court’s directive for the defendants to present their defense in the ongoing ambulance procurement trial. Justices Kweku Tawiah Ackah-Boafo and Philip Bright Mensah upheld the defendants’ no-case appeal, while Justice Alex Poku Acheampong dissented.
The defendants had faced allegations of causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in an ambulance procurement deal for the Government of Ghana. Mr. Dame has argued that the court’s decision undermines efforts to combat impunity and uphold the rule of law, prompting his resolve to appeal the ruling.
Speaking with Bernard Avle on the Point of View on Channel One TV, Banson stated, “For the sake of the law, I would wish that the AG appeal… They say there are some exceptions. It is only the Supreme Court that can tell us whether these exceptions are here or not, but I must be quick to add that even though the Court of Appeal ultimately upheld the appeal filed, it is not every submission that was made by the accused persons or the appellants that was upheld by Justice Ackah-Boafo.”
He elaborated, “So for instance, Justice Ackah-Boafo struck out almost all the grounds of appeal that were filed but ultimately rested the decision on the grounds of whether or not the submissions were supported by the evidence that was adduced… So it will be interesting to see if the AG indeed files the notice of appeal and how it will go.”
TWI NEWS
EK
Watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below:
Copyright © 1994 - 2024 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
