Businessman, Richard Jakpa has made another claim about the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame’s efforts to implicate Dr Cassiel Ato Forson in the ongoing ambulance procurement case.
Mr Jakpa claimed that the AG urged him to cooperate in having Dr Forson jailed by the first week of May, since according to Ghana’s constitution, a bye-election cannot take place six months to a general election.
According to Jakpa, this conversation took place at the home of his cousin, Justice Yonni Kulendi, where the AG allegedly pressured him to provide incriminating evidence against Dr Forson.
During cross-examination by Dr Cassiel Ato Forson’s lawyer, Dr Abdul Basit Aziz Bamba, Jakpa testified that the AG mentioned being under considerable pressure from President Nana Akufo-Addo and former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to secure Dr Forson’s conviction.
“…It was then he (AG) told me my brother, I am under pressure and I said, that is not my problem. Then he (AG) said the Finance Minister and the president are on my neck mounting pressure. They want this case to be finished by the first week in May,” Mr Jakpa said.
“I (Jakpa) asked him why the first week in May?”
“Then he (AG) said you may not know but according to the Constitution, you cannot have a bye-election six months to a general election.”
“So if I can cooperate with him and get Ato Forson just one month in Nsawam, his seat will be declared vacant and we will go for by-election.”
“And I told him (AG) that going for a by-election in Central region how sure are you to win that election?. Then he said, Central region they are cheap, we will pump money in it and we will win the election.”
He further claimed that the AG said when they win the election, the “NDC will come and beg us for pardon, and we will use it to get our things to get through in Parliament.”