Joyce Bawah Mogtari, special aide to former President John Mahama, has asked the Attorney-General Godfred Dame to resign from his post following the advice given to him by the trial judge in the Ato Forson case to recuse himself.
In the view of Bawah Mogtari, the action of Dame which led to the advice from the judge should not be tolerated.
“Should Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame not find refuge in the guidance of the Judge, having literally crossed the red line and brought the unusually mute Ghana Bar Association ( GBA) into utter chaos. For the very first time in the annals of our nascent Democracy, an Attorney General of Ghana has been [advised] by Court to recuse himself from a trial. This must certainly be causing some serious ripples in the corridors of power. AG Dame should resign honorably, no dishonorably I beg your pardon. This dishonorable, deplorable conduct should not be tolerated,” she wrote on her X platform.
But Godfred Dame said that he would still prosecute the case involving the Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson despite the advice from the judge to recuse himself in the interest of justice and the public.
He told journalists after court proceedings on Thursday, June 6 that the judge only gave advice.
“It was only advice, I am still prosecuting the case,” he said.
The trial judge Justice Efia Serwah Asare-Botwey had advised Dame to recuse him from the ongoing trial.
“Having listened to the conversation between A3 and A-G, the allegation that A-G sought assistance to implicate [Ato Forson] was not borne out of the mouth of the A-G but [Richard Jakpa],” TV3’s Laud Adu Asare who was in court on Thursday June 6 reported the judge as saying.
The court has also dismissed the application for mistrial filed by Ato Forson, Adu Asare further reported.
Lawyers for the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson filed a supplementary affidavit in support of the motion on notice for an order of mistrial, injunction and or stay of proceedings in the ongoing ambulance case.
This followed the allegations made against Attorney-General Godfred Dame by Richard Jakpa.
The trending recording of a telephone conversation between Mr. Jakpa and the Attorney-General Godfred Dame, had been annexed to the affidavit.
Also, certain quotations contained in some media reports, particularly by Accra-based Asaase Radio that border on alleged professional misconduct on the part of the A-G, had been cited and annexed to the process.
Dr Ato Forson was requesting the honorable court to declare a mistrial in the interest of justice, which must not only be done but be manifestly seen to be done.
The Minority Leader averred that the Attorney-General had embarked on reprehensible and unlawful conduct, conduct unbecoming of an Attorney- General, let alone the Minister for justice, for the sole purpose of securing his conviction. And that, if the Court were to ignore these rather grave matters to proceed with the trial regardless, that would amount to a real travesty of justice, as the Court would have disregarded credible and cogent claims of misconduct by the Attorney General.
But Godfred Dame opposed the application for mistrial stating it was unknown in the laws of Ghana.
“That no proper grounds have been canvassed by the applicant to warrant a grant of this application, which is unknown to the laws governing criminal law and practice in Ghana.
“That the instant application is a smokescreen and a veiled attempt by the applicant to abort his legitimate prosecution for actions committed as a public officer which led to the State losing colossal amounts of funds. Same is incompetent as no one has immunity from prosecution under the laws of Ghana.
“That I respectfully say that the Attorney-General is vested with the constitutional responsibility to prosecute all crimes within the Republic and cannot be prohibited from discharging this constitutional duty in respect of any person in Ghana as all persons are equal before the law,” he said in his affidavit in opposition to the motion filed by Ato Forson.
Source: 3news.com
