A former presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, has cautioned the public against rushing to judgment in the case of alleged misconduct by the Attorney General.
Godfred Yeboah Dame is prosecuting Minority Leader and former Deputy Finane Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa for allegedly causing financial loss to the state.
Last week, Jakpa accused the AG of seeking to recruit him to help condemn Mr. Forson.
The ensuing discussions since the allegation have centred on calls for Mr Dame to resign if the allegation is proven to be true.
On Tuesday, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) aired an audio recording it said involved the AG and Jakpa ostensibly to corroborate Jakpa's claim that the AG tried to get him to testify against Forson.
But Arthur Kennedy is calling for due process to be followed, emphasising that a thorough investigation must be carried out to establish the facts and determine whether there has been any wrongdoing.
Richard Jakpa is standing trial alongside Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, for allegedly causing financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in a deal to procure ambulances for the state.
At a press conference on Tuesday, NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia played the secretly recorded tape alleged to be a conversation between the AG and Jakpa.
Asiedu Nketia warned that if President Akufo-Addo does not heed their demands to remove Dame from office and sanction him, a future NDC government will take action.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM show, Mr. Kennedy stated, "I think we owe him due process, which means there ought to be an investigation, and that investigation should establish fact. Having said that, whenever I see this situation, apart from the immediate situation, I look for lessons that we can all learn. is that maybe the ethical rules are not clear enough.
“How, for example, does the Supreme Court justice in whose home this meeting took place come in? Did he know of the fact that this relative was going to come in? Are there sanctions, all those are issues that we must deal with?”.
Dr. Kennedy stated that the issue affects the reputation of the presidency.
He noted that President Akufo-Addo has done significant work to improve the legal system in Ghana and found it ironic that such controversies are happening under Akufo-Addo's government.
“Honestly, whenever I see and think of the president, I feel sad. The reason I feel this way is that he seemed to me to be a person who meant very well. I tell people and they are stunned. The president ones told me, 'I do not like the presidential system, ‘and I said why, he said ‘because it gives too much power to one person.
“He said, ‘In the prime ministerial system, you are only a first among equals, so your colleagues can reel you in when you get too dictatorial. That is very admirable hearing that from him. When you put that beside the person we are seeing as president now, it is very difficult for me to reconcile the two,” he noted.
Credit: Isaac Kafui Nyanyovor