The third accused in the ongoing ambulance trial, Richard Jakpa, has revealed that Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Dame, had assured him he was merely a cog in a case primarily targeting Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Jakpa revealed that during a private conversation, the attorney general assured him of eventual acquittal, implying that Jakpa was only collateral damage and not the primary focus of the prosecution.
This revelation came during a dramatic court session on Thursday, June 20, where Jakpa elaborated on his interactions with the Attorney-General.
Jakpa recounted that Godfred Dame’s remarks suggested he might be currently implicated, but he would be cleared of any wrongdoing by the trial’s conclusion.
He emphasized that he had privately met with Dame to advocate for his innocence and to seek his acquittal.
During cross-examination by Director of Public Prosecutions Yvonne Attakorah Obuobisa, Jakpa disclosed that he contacted the Attorney-General to thank him for assisting in securing his bail.
He maintained that both he and the first accused, Dr. Ato Forson, were innocent, asserting that only Dr. Sylvester Anemana had a case to answer.
Jakpa reiterated that Godfred Dame had indicated the primary target was Dr. Ato Forson but promised to seek Jakpa’s acquittal at the submission of no case stage.
Moreover, Jakpa implicated former Finance Minister Seth Terkper and Sherry Ayittey, attributing the ambulance project’s issues to their actions. He recalled a 2017 interview on Joy FM where he accused Terkper of sabotaging the ambulance project, which led to a contentious exchange with Dr. Ato Forson.
“In 2017, I went on Joy FM to discuss how Seth Terkper sabotaged the ambulance project. Ato Forson called in to defend his boss, and I told him to focus on his parliamentary duties because Hon. Seth Terkper had been undermining the project since his time as Deputy Minister of Finance,” Jakpa recounted.
Jakpa mentioned that he had urged the Attorney-General to make him a prosecution witness to expose Seth Terkper and Sherry Ayittey, highlighting the political undertones of the case.
