Godfred Dame's leaked tape: Martin Kpebu descends on Deputy Attorney General over 'mere allegation' remarks

Renowned legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has slammed Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, a Deputy Attorney General, for describing the accusation against the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, in the ongoing trial of Minority Leader Ato Forson as "mere allegations".

Speaking during a panel discussion on TV3's The Key Points, on June 4, 2024, Martin Kpebu could not comprehend the demeanour and assertion of the Deputy Attorney General regarding the allegation against his boss, Dame.

He said that the leaked audio recording of a phone conversation, between Dame and the third accused in the trial, Richard Jakpa, points to at least four crimes being committed by the leader of lawyers in Ghana and is a very serious matter.

"Tuah-Yeboah doesn't even seem to appreciate the damage done to Ghana as a country, and he finds that as a laughing matter. You find him beaming with smiles all over. He says it is a 'mere allegation'. Oh, come on.

"He doesn't seem to appreciate the office he's occupying. Yeah, it tells me he hasn't even brought an apology. He should be told. He should watch what he said. It's such a very serious matter," Kpebu said.

He added, "I mean, it is nauseating for me that Tuah-Yeboah found this to be a matter he could laugh over. We've been damaged as a country. Damaged! And the way we are carrying on shows that we have fully embraced prosecutorial misconduct... we are conducting ourselves as if there are no elders in this country."

He pointed out that in any serious democracy, the president would have fired Godfred Dame long ago.

He gave President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo until June 5, 2024, to sack the Attorney General because the things he is heard saying are a dent on Ghana's democracy.

Richard Jakpa accused the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, of attempting to collude with him to make a case against the Majority Leader.

During court proceedings on Thursday, May 23, 2024, Jakpa claimed that the Attorney General called him at odd hours to get his cooperation.

He made these remarks when Dame accused him of protecting Ato Forson, threatening to reveal more if the Attorney General dared him.

"The AG has on several occasions engaged me at odd hours to help him make a case against A1, and I have evidence for that.

"If he pushes me, I will open Pandora's box. I don't understand why the AG would accuse me of defending A1 when I'm here to defend myself," the third accused is quoted as having said.

At a press conference in Accra, on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, the NDC played a 16-minute audio recording of a phone call conversation between Godfred Dame and Richard Jakpa, on the day the third accused was supposed to testify in court.

In the recording, Dame is heard urging the third accused (Jakpa) to testify in a manner that differs from an explanation given to him.

Before the AG's request, Jakpa explained that Ato Forson had done no wrong with the LCs he signed.

He could be heard telling the Attorney General that the contract was for the purchase of 200 vehicles with four LCs.

"With the security from the government being the LC, the condition precedent... the contract for 200 vehicles in tranches of 50, 50, 50, 50. The contract is one contract for 200 ambulances which has been broken down within the contract. You establish an LC for every 50 tranche. So, you have four LCs for the 200 ambulances," Jakpa explained.

Godfred Dame then stated that the third accused should accept his explanation because it wouldn't cause him any harm.

"For that part, I disagree with you because if you look at the terms of the contract, it is quite clear, and it should not be difficult for you to accept because it doesn't put you in any problem. You are not the Minister of Health, and you are not the Minister of Finance, so it doesn't put you in any difficulty," the Attorney General is heard saying.

However, Jakpa insisted that he could not grant Dame's request because there were letters that confirmed the arrangement in the contract.

Dame continued to ask Jakpa to accept his position because it would not cause him any problems, but the third accused insisted he was not going to say anything contrary to what he knew as the truth.

The Attorney General is also heard in the recording telling Jakpa to fabricate a medical excuse so that he could travel.

Dr. Ato Forson, a former Deputy Minister for Finance; Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director at the Ministry of Health; and private businessman Richard Jakpa, are standing trial for allegedly wilfully causing financial loss of €2.37 million to the state through a contract to purchase 200 ambulances for the Ministry of Health.

BAI/ ADG

Meanwhile, catch up on the latest edition of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV as Etsey Atisu sat down with the MP for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, to discuss issues surrounding the E-Levy, the Saglemi Housing Controversy, and the OSP Impeachment:





Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.