The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, criticized the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, for his handling of the ambulance procurement trial and the outcome of the case. Suhuyini’s remarks were made in response to the Court of Appeal’s decision on Tuesday, July 30, which acquitted and discharged the accused persons in the case.
The ruling overturned a previous trial court’s order that required Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa to open their defence. The two had been accused of causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in a deal to procure ambulances for the Government of Ghana.
While Justice Alex Poku Acheampong dissented, Justices Kweku Tawiah Ackah-Boafo and Philip Bright Mensah ruled in favour of the accused persons. Following the ruling, Attorney-General Godfred Dame issued a statement condemning the decision.
He described it as perverse and contrary to the substantial evidence presented by the prosecution, arguing that it undermines public accountability and the rule of law. In an interview with TV3 on Wednesday, July 31, Mr Suhuyini advised the AG to remain silent to avoid further embarrassment.
He suggested that Dame has compromised himself and the office he occupies with his response to the court’s decision. “This case has not just been lost but his integrity has also been lost and if I were in his shoes, I would be speaking very little at this moment because he has not only disgraced himself but he has disgraced the office of the Attorney General.”
“It was a case that shouldn’t have happened. It is a classic example of political persecution. Even before we heard what was contained in the leaked tape, most Ghanaians knew this was a witch hunt and a classic case of political persecution,” he said.
By: Ernest K. Arhinful
