Private legal practitioner, Samson Lardy Anyenini has said plea bargaining is lawful in any criminal proceedings.
Mr Anyenini has explained plea bargaining can be used in exchange for a lesser punishment once a consensus is reached between the Attorney General and a defendant.
The lawyer who is also the host of New File on Joy News explained this on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem.Â
This comes in the wake of the controversies, surrounding the ambulance case estimated to cost €2.4 million involving former Deputy Finance Minister and current Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa.
In court, Richard Jakpa claimed that Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame had repeatedly approached him, asking for his help to implicate the first accused, Dr. Ato Forson.
Contradicting these claims, the Attorney-General stated that, Mr Jakpa had sent multiple letters requesting a plea bargain, aiming for the state to drop all charges against the accused. He noted that this proposal has not been accepted.
But lawyer Anyenini insisted that, plea bargain is important in any criminal case, adding it promote a country’s fight against crime.
“When it comes to plea bargain, once an agreement is arrived at, the Attorney General will inform the court and once the case is called, the person will plead guilty when they have the option to not plea guilty and will be convicted.
“But you will not be jailed because if you refunded the money or will be given a lesser punishment, depending on the terms of agreement,” he explained.
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