NDC calls for immediate dismissal and prosecution of Attorney General Godfred Dame

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for the immediate dismissal and prosecution of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Dame.

This demand follows the party's sharing of evidence, including a 16-minute audio, allegedly revealing the Attorney General attempting to collude with the third accused in the ongoing trial of the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson; businessman Richard Jakpa, to implicate the minority leader.

Addressing the press on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, where the evidence was presented, the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, asserted that the Attorney General had clearly committed a crime.

He stated that Dame cannot continue in his position because Ghana cannot have an Attorney General, who is supposed to protect the Constitution of the country, yet violates it with impunity.

"Considering the scandalous nature of this recording and other forms of evidence we have shown you, we wish to make the following pressing demands as part of efforts to restore credibility to the Attorney-General's office and Ghana's judicial system as a whole: the immediate and unconditional resignation or dismissal of Godfred Dame for bringing the high office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice into disrepute and public opprobrium. Clearly, Mr. Dame is not fit to hold himself out as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. He is unfit to be the Leader of the Ghanaian Bar.

"The immediate prosecution of Godfred Dame for multiple violations of the laws of Ghana. We wish to make it clear that should President Akufo-Addo fail to prosecute him, a future NDC government will prosecute Godfred Dame for this heinous crime of fabricating evidence," the national chairman said.

He also called for the disbarring of the Attorney General because he has violated the ethics of legal practice, saying that the party demands the "Commencement of disciplinary proceedings by the General Legal Council against Godfred Dame and his disbarment for conduct unbecoming of a lawyer and, more importantly, the leader of the Ghana Bar."

He also called for "A publicly-televised Parliamentary inquiry into this and other reports of judicial manipulations by Godfred Dame with a view to censure Godfred Dame to prevent the recurrence of such judicial manipulation."

In the recording played at the press conference, Godfred Dame is heard urging the third accused to testify in a manner which differs from an explanation given to Richard Jakpa.

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 4 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.

"No, the problem I have in accepting that for you is that there are letters that confirm [details of the transaction]. So I can’t go against what the letters say."

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 can travel.

The conversation also suggested that the two men had met or communicated more than once because the third accused stated in the audio that the Attorney General had been pressuring him to testify in the way he wanted.

BAI/ADG

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