Richard Jakpa
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, yesterday added further credence to the prosecution’s case that Richard Jakpa was dishonourably discharged from the Army.
While under cross-examination by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, the military capo confirmed that had Jakpa been released honourably from the Army, he would have been permitted to use his title in private life and he would have had his name on the list of retired soldiers.
“From all the factors and circumstances regarding his release, would you say he was honourably released?” Mr. Dame asked and the CDS responded that “as per the documents on record, I would say he was not honourably released.”
Richard Jakpa and Dr. Ato Forson are standing trial for willfully causing financial loss of €2.37 million to the state, through a contract to purchase 200 ambulances for the Ministry of Health, among other charges.
His dismissal from the Army in 2007 came up for discussion during his cross-examination by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, when he claimed that he was released for services no longer needed.
But the prosecution has tendered different documents pointing to the fact that he was dismissed as result of unsatisfactory conducts, indiscipline, and consistent fraudulent conduct, among others.
On July 18, 2024, the Secretary of the Ghana Armed Forces, Air Commodore Nana Adu-Gyamfi, who was subpoenaed by Jakpa, tendered a document which indicated that the accused person’s stay with the Army was “not only unacceptable but smacks of indiscipline, lackadaisical and unprofessional.”
He told the court that the content of the report in evidence will show that Jakpa was not honourably released from the Army.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, under whom Jakpa served for about three months, also confirmed yesterday that the accused was not honourably released from the Army as evident in the records before the court.
The CDS was subpoenaed by Jakpa to testify for him and Thaddeus Sory, counsel for Jakpa during his questioning of the witness enquired whether the word ‘misconduct’ appeared in the letter releasing the accused from the Army, although same is found in a cover letter written by the Minister for Defence when making available Jakpa’s military records to the Attorney General.
The CDS, in his explanation, indicated that the minister’s letter to the Attorney General stated that it was providing more details and to confirm that Jakpa was released from the Army on those grounds.
Asked whether the reasons stated by the minister would be different from the reasons given by the military for Jakpa’s release, Lt Gen Oppong-Peprah indicated that the exercise of discretion lies with the minister, and he may include other records.
The CDS also told the court that he did not release Jakpa’s records to the Attorney General, and did not know who released it, but was quick to add that he has not received any correspondence that some documents have been released to the court, so he could not institute an enquiry.
Asked by Dr. Abdul Baasit Aziz Bamba, counsel for Dr. Forson whether he had sighted any documents from the Office of the Attorney General for Jakpa’s records, the CDS said no.
AG’s Cross-Examination
Mr. Dame asked the CDS whether the Minister for Defence, who is the head of the supervisory ministry over the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) always copies the CDS on all correspondences, and Lt Gen Oppong-Peprah answered, “He exercises the right to copy me or not.”
“Will you consider it to be a breach of rule or procedure if the minister releases a document to the Attorney General or any public officer?” Mr. Dame asked, and the CDS said, “No, my mandate ends with Armed Forces, so I have no control over the Minister for Defence.”
The CDS also confirmed that per the records, Jakpa prior to his dismissal from the Army had undergone a number of interviews regarding issues of his misconduct and unprofessional acts, which were rendered into special reports.
“All these reports culminated into the release of Mr. Jakpa?” Mr. Dame asked, and the CDS said “from the record, yes.”
BY Gibril Abdul Razak