Court advises Attorney-General Dame to recuse himself from ambulance case

The Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame has been advised to recuse himself from the ambulance case currently pending at the High Court in Accra.

In issuing the advise on Thursday, when the €2.37 million financial loss case came up for hearing, the judge advised the Attorney-General not to be involved in the prosecution of the case. 

That, according to the judge was one way of ensuring that the judicial process was protected and to gain public confidence and not give a perception that cases can be held at any other place except the court room.

The court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe issuing the advise in a ruling in relation to a secret audio recording of a conversation between the A-G Godfred Yeboah Dame and Richard Jakpa, the third accused person in the ambulance case said the matters on A-G’s conduct in audio do not fall within remit of criminal proceedings.

Making pronouncements on a recorded conversation between the Attorney-General and one of the accused persons in the trial as part of a ruling Thursday (June 6), the judge said after listening to the audio, the A-G did not ask Richard Jakpa, the accused person to help him (A-G) to make the case better against the first accused, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.

“It is my considered view that it will  be prudent to strongly advise the A-G not to be directly involved in the conduct of this case. 

“This is one way of ensuring that the judicial process is protected and to gain public confidence and not give a perception that cases can be held at any other place except the court room”, she said.

She said however, the portion of the audio where the A-G was heard asking the businessman to seek medical excuse were matters outside the remit of the court but it is within the remit of the General Legal Council under the Legislative Instrument (L.I) on the professional conduct of lawyers.

Read also: Ambulance case: Court throws out Ato Forson’s motion for enquiry, mistrial and stay of proceedings

Meanwhile, the A-G Godfred Yeboah Dame continued with the prosecution of the case after the rulings had been delivered.

more to follow,...