Akufo-Addo’s gov’t wants to imprison Ato Forson for unjust reason – Mosquito

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has alleged that the Akufo-Addo government refused to clear the ambulances at the centre of the Ato Forson trial just to prosecute the minority leader.

According to the NDC, but for the resolve of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to prosecute Ato Forson, the items procured, which had arrived at the port about eight years ago, would have been cleared and installed.

“We firmly believe that the decision to take the Minority Leader and some others to court over this matter was borne out of malicious, sinister and wicked desire to silence him through unjust imprisonment, nothing more, nothing less,” the NDC said.

The National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, addressed a press conference on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 argued that the government had to clear the equipment from the port and grant access to the engineers of the manufacturing company.

He said “All that was required for this government to do was to clear the medical equipment from the port and give the engineers of Big Sea access to the ambulances that have been parked at the Air Force base in Accra, to install them.”

The refusal to clear the equipment and the subsequent trial, according to the NDC, give credence to their claim that the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, was targeting the Minority Leader through unjust means.

The NDC argued that the timing of the case also demonstrates the government’s plot to silence the Minority Leader.

TAPE

The NDC, in a move to demonstrate the alleged lack of professionalism on the part of the AG, played a 16-minute phone conversation between Godfred Dame and the third accused person, Richard Jakpa.

The National Chairman, Asiedu Nketiah, ran commentary intermittently, ostensibly to help listeners appreciate the content of the audio.

The audio, together with some alleged WhatsApp conversations, were the evidence the NDC provided at the press conference against the AG, Godfred Dame.

PROSECUTE

The NDC made a number of demands following what it described as professional misconduct on the part of the Attorney General.

Among others, the NDC want the AG to resign or President Akufo-Addo to dismiss him with immediate effect and further prosecute him.

According to the NDC, there is enough evidence to prosecute Godfred Dame and should the NPP government fail to do so, the next NDC government would prosecute the current AG.

“We are calling for the immediate prosecution of Godfred Dame for multiple violations of the laws of Ghana. We wish to make it clear that should President Akufo-Addo refuse or fail to prosecute him, a future NDC government will prosecute Godfred Dame for his heinous crime of fabrication of evidence.

“Again, there should be a commencement of disciplinary proceedings by the General Legal Council against Godfred Dame and his disbarment for conduct unbecoming of a lawyer and more importantly, the leader of the Ghana Bar,” the NDC said.

COURT

The NDC held on statements by the third accused, Richard Jakpa, in open court that the AG had on several occasions engaged him to testify in a way to incriminate the first accused and Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson.