The 2024 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has criticised the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Godfred Dame.
Mr Mahama accused Dame of behaving more like a legal representative for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) rather than fulfilling his duties impartially as Minister of Justice and Attorney-General.
In an interview with TV3 on Tuesday, July 30, following the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge the accused in the ambulance procurement case, the former President remarked that the AG’s credibility is severely damaged.
Mr Mahama referred to a leaked phone conversation between the AG and one of the then-accused persons, Richard Jakpa, in which the AG allegedly sought to engage in witness tampering to jail the Minority Leader at all costs.
He assured that if elected in the upcoming election, his administration would ensure that the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice focuses on accountability rather than engaging in political witch-hunts.
Mr Mahama expressed his concerns about the current AG’s conduct and his commitment to restoring integrity and impartiality to the justice system if he returns to office.
“I think that this Attorney-General has been discredited enough, anywhere in the world, with the things we have seen, the coaching of witnesses, and discussions with witnesses, this prosecution would have been struck out as malicious prosecution.”
“I believe this prosecution is malicious. He is not as robust and energetic in pursuing other cases. Even as we speak, there is an ambulance case involving this present administration which is hugely larger than what he is prosecuting, and yet he has no interest in that.”
“He is like a legal representative of the NPP party, over-enthusiastic in pursuing political opponents. I have said that when we come it will be the reverse. We will pursue accountability for the regime that has gone out but at the same time if any of our people are involved in the same things that have happened, we are prosecuting the previous government, and we will prosecute them too.”
“So I think that the A-G is also the Minister of Justice, he forgets that and thinks he is just the A-G. The Minister of Justice is supposed to ensure fairness. Anywhere else in this world, this case would have ended, he would never even have come to court,” he said.