Founder and President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe says he is more inclined to believe the allegations made by the third accused person in the ambulance trial, Richard Jakpa against the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame.
This according to him is because Mr. Jakpa could not have manufactured the leaked tape recording of his conversation with the AG.
Speaking on Citi TV’s Big Issue, Mr. Cudjoe also expressed his complete confidence in Mr. Jakpa’s assertion that President Akufo-Addo and the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta exerted pressure on the AG to ensure Ato Forson’s imprisonment in the ambulance case.
“I have said that this case is very stupid, excuse my language, political case. What was the point? You could see that it was clearly his intent. I’m hearing that he said to Jakpa that the former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and President Akufo-Addo, are pressuring him and he has to do something, hell no. I believe this story 100%.
“I don’t think Jakpa manufactured the tape. Jakpa is not a stupid man. I’m tempted to believe Jakpa more than the Attorney General right now, there’s nothing that the AG will say that I will believe him ever again. At this juncture, Jakpa rules. Jakpa might have asked at a point why are you determined to jail this guy [Ato Forson],” he said.
The stance taken by Franklin Cudjoe comes on the back of some allegations made by Richard Jakpa, who is the third accused person in the ongoing ambulance procurement case.
Among other things, Mr. Jakpa had accused the Attorney General of having political motives in pursuing the case against him and the first accused person, Cassiel Ato Forson.
In an affidavit filed at the High Court in Accra on May 30, Mr. Jakpa alleged that Attorney General Godfred Dame told him he was under pressure from President Akufo-Addo and former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta to prosecute Dr. Forson in the case.
Mr. Jakpa further claimed that in several meetings with him, Mr. Dame admitted that there was no case against him as an agent of the government and that he was just added as a cover-up.
Touching on this, Franklin Cudjoe said he is surprised the Attorney General is still at post.
“Some are saying he hasn’t done anything wrong, some are defending him, let’s stop this. Your Minister of Justice is actually coaching someone to fabricate a story in order to jail somebody else. Why? He told Jakpa to secure a fake medical excuse, that’s even damning, really?
“We’re getting to an election, people think this is an election matter, it is not, this is a grave matter, a very damning matter and I’m surprised the gentleman is still at post,” he pointed out.
