The High Court judge presiding over the ambulance case involving Hon. Ato Forson and Mr. Jakpa has directed Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame to recuse himself from the trial due to allegations of professional and prosecutorial misconduct. This directive marks the first instance in Ghana’s legal history where an Attorney-General has been ordered to step down from a trial.
The case, which has garnered significant public attention, saw the court decline jurisdiction to order an inquiry and mistrial based on the prosecutorial misconduct of the Attorney-General. Instead, the court advised Hon. Ato Forson to seek redress from the General Legal Council if he wishes to pursue the matter further.
Despite protests from the Attorney-General, the court admitted a controversial telephone recording between Mr. Jakpa and the Attorney-General into evidence. This recording, central to the allegations of misconduct, had been contested by the Attorney-General as inadmissible.
Sammy Gyamfi, Communications Director for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a member of their legal team, broke the news on social media, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of the ruling. “This is the first time that an Attorney-General of Ghana has been directed by the Court to recuse himself from a trial,” Sammy Gyamfi noted.
The ruling on the applications filed by Mr. Jakpa is still being read, and the legal community awaits further developments with keen interest.
