The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has released what it claims to be an audio recording of a conversation between the Attorney General, Godfred Dame and the third accused person in the controversial ambulance purchase trial, Richard Jakpa.
This follows claims by the third accused, Richard Jakpa that the Attorney General had previously approached him to help build a case against the former Deputy Finance Minister.
Mr Jakpa said in open court that the Attorney-General had on several occasions engaged him at odd hours to incriminate the first accused and Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
“If he pushes me, I will open the Pandora’s box. I don’t understand why the A-G will accuse me of defending A1 [Ato Forson] when I’m here to defend myself,” Mr Jakpa added during court proceedings on Thursday, May 23, 2024.
A statement signed by Deputy Attorney-General, Alfred Tuah Yeboah, however, dismissed the claims.
The office said Mr Jakpa is rather the one who “by various letters” on multiple occasions “proposed to the Republic through the Attorney-General to engage in plea bargaining or plea negotiations. This plea bargaining proposal has, to date, not been accepted by the Attorney-General.”
But at a press conference today, Tuesday, May 28, the NDC played a tape purportedly containing the voices of the two individuals.
The party said the 16-minute long audio is the first of many such pieces of evidence they would be releasing subsequently.
They also publicised supposed screenshots of WhatsApp chats between the third accused and the A-G.
Listen to the recording as played at NDC's May 28 press conference:
Prosecution’s facts
Per the facts of the case presented by the prosecution in 2009 while delivering the State of the Nation Address, the then President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, indicated that new ambulances would be purchased to expand the operations of the National Ambulance Service.
The facts said, Jakpa, who is a local representative of Big Sea General Trading Ltd, a company based in Dubai, subsequently approached the Ministry of Health with a proposal that he had arranged for finance from Stanbic Bank for the supply of 200 ambulances to the government.
Parliament approved the financing agreement between the government and Stanbic Bank.
Full press conference by NDC below:
According to the facts, on November 19, 2012, Dr Anemana wrote to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) seeking approval to engage Big Sea through single sourcing for the supply of the 200 ambulances.
The facts added that on August 7, 2014, Dr Forson wrote to the Bank of Ghana for Letters of Credit covering €3.95 million for the supply of 50 ambulances in favour of Big Sea.
The Letters of Credit were accordingly released to Big Sea.
It is the case of the prosecution that 10 of the ambulances delivered under the deal on December 16, 2014, were fundamentally defective with some not even having any medical equipment in them, causing a financial loss to the state.
Credit: myjoyonline.com