Tag: Ato Forson

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NEWS

KOFI OPARE HAGAN EXPOSES ‘LOUDMOUTH’ MARTIN KPEBU

The ongoing Ato Forson Ambulance trial against minority leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has sparked a lot of debates and deliberations between lawyers, social media enthusiasts and the general populace with varying groups making a case for their stance based on law, the constitution, sentiments and political affiliations.

In a social media banter between, Kofi Opare Hagan, a known ‘facebook lawyer’ and Martin Kpebu, a private media practioner who is known in the media space for giving commentaries on law and the constitution. The banter between the two were on the subject of law particularly sections 18 and 213 of  act 29 of the constitution.The disparity between the two was on whether the Attorney General has violated and abused the law in the exercise of his powers.

Martin Kpebu maintained the Attorney General ‘coached’ Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the ongoing ambulance trial by rhetorically asking ‘You didn’t hear Dame telling him to answer in a manner contrary to the belief of Jakpa? Did you hear Jakpa inform Dame that what Dame was requesting was dishonest?’ He further said it’s an attempt to fabricate evidence.

These questions came after Opare Hagan explained Godfred Dame can only be accused of committing a crime where legal terms ‘mens rea’ and ‘actus rea’ are present which in the subject of their argument was amiss. Kpebu in rebuttal told Opare Hagan to consult legal books Archbold or Blackstone. After Hagan showed Kpebu he has superior knowledge in the said books, Kpebu responded with ‘lol’ which in social media terms means laughing out loud.

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NEWS Politics

STOP THE AMBULANCE TRIAL OR MINORITY WILL NOT COOPERATE  IN PARLIAMENT – MAHAMA

The Ato Forson Ambulance trial in court has brought a media frenzy causing the two leading political parties in Ghana, NPP and NDC  to organize press conferences. The NDC organized a press conference and played a recording which alleged the Attorney General, Godfred Dame ‘coerced’ the third accused, Richard Jakpa of which the NPP refuted in their counter press conference.

Asiedu Nketiah addressing the media.

In response, the NPP claimed the AG in no way tried to “coerce” the third accused but rather he has been strong in refusing the NDC’s plea to discontinue the case. The Chairman, Legal and Constitutional Committee for NPP, Frank Davies, in the press conference said there has been numerous attempts to mount pressure on the AG “from every angle including the Former President Mahama, the leadership of the minority in parliament, clergy, business friends of Ato Forson etc”.

Frank Davies addressing the media.

Speaking at the press conference, Frank Davies said “indeed, former president Mahama specifically maintained the discontinuance of the Ambulance Trial as a condition to get members of the minority in Parliament to agree to the recent recall of parliament and has on several other occasions, stated it as a condition for the cooperation of the minority in parliament”.

He further said the calls for the Attorney General to resign is “unwarranted and misplaced and the attorney general will continue to remain witty, resolute and focused in the delivery of his work”.

Categories
NEWS Politics

ATO FORSON RATHER TRIED TO PERSUADE THE STATE TO DROP HIS PROSECUTION – ATTORNEY GENERAL

In 2022, the Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Consistuency, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, and Richard Jakpa, a businessman were sued by the state for allegedly causing financial loss to the state in the purchase of ambulances for the country between 2014 to 2016.

Although the investigation into the purchase of the ambulances started in 2017, nothing was heard of the investigation until November 2021, when concerns were raised about the 2022 Budget and Economic Policy of the Government.

The facts are that Dr Forson the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP, who was also a Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament then, and the two others breached the procurement law in the purchase of the ambulances and causing financial loss to the state.

In October 2023, Ato Forson wrote a letter to the Attorney General to ask for a plea bargain offer but the A-G rejected the proposal. The counsel of Richard Jakpa also sought the same offer which was rejected as well.

As the judgement day for the trial draws near to help bring finality to the issue, Richard Jakpa in court today alleged that the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, made calls to him at odd hours in the night to make him turn on Ato Forson and give false testimonies to help prosecute Ato Forson.

In response, the Attorney General denied the allegations levelled against him and said Ato Forson rather has been seeking a plea and there’s a video evidence to that effect pleading the A-G to discontinue the trial.