- Court of Appeal acquitted Dr. Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa; Justice Acheampong dissented.
- Attorney-General Godfred Dame condemned the ruling as unjust.
- Tameklo accused the AG of violating legal etiquette by directly contacting the accused.
- Tameklo alleged the AG advised Jakpa to falsify a medical report.
The legal counsel to the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has asserted that the Attorney-General (A-G) Godfred Dame Yeboah is unfit to address lawyers at this year’s Ghana Bar Association (GBA) Conference
Edudzi Tameklo strongly defended Dr. Forson’s innocence and criticized Attorney-General Godfred Dame’s credibility regarding the upcoming Bar Conference.
Tameklo accused Dame of pursuing a politically motivated prosecution against Dr. Forson, the Minority Leader in Parliament. He highlighted an earlier instance where the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) had instructed them to take a police statement home for completion, initially indicating no wrongdoing.
Lawyer Edudzi Tameklo accused Attorney-General Godfred Dame of targeting Dr. Forson due to his opposition to the government’s Electronic Levy (e-levy) Bill in 2019, which has led to the current legal troubles faced by the Minority Leader.
In an interview with JoyNews on July 30, Tameklo criticized Dame’s conduct, arguing that it undermines his suitability to address the 2024 Ghana Bar Conference. Tameklo claimed that Dame’s actions compromised his professional integrity.
Tameklo alleged that Dame had directly contacted an accused individual, bypassing legal representation, which he believes violates professional ethics. He cited an instance where Dame allegedly instructed an accused person to present a false medical excuse to the court, asserting that such behavior disqualifies Dame from speaking at the Bar Conference.
Background
On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal, by a 2:1 vote, acquitted and discharged Dr. Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa in the ambulance procurement case. This ruling reversed a previous trial court order that required them to present their defense against allegations of causing a €2.37 million financial loss to the state.
Justice Alex Poku Acheampong dissented, while Justices Kweku Tawiah Ackah-Boafo and Philip Bright Mensah supported the acquittal.
In response, Attorney-General Godfred Dame condemned the ruling as flawed and inconsistent with the evidence provided by the prosecution. He argued that the decision undermines public accountability and the rule of law.
