Richard Jakpa
The 16-minute tape released by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to discredit the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has been manipulated, sources close to the party told DGN Online.
Sources have revealed that the tape was “highly doctored” by the NDC. They claimed that the party met in Julius Debrah’s office on Friday to plan the doctoring and remove the voice of Emmanuel Kulendi, the Supreme Court justice.
Key Findings
The sources revealed that Godfred Dame has never met Jakpa except in Kulendi house, saying that the meetings on the tape were called by Kulendi at the behest of Jakpa.
More so, the sources observed that the tape shows that Dame never asked or plotted with Jakpa to falsify evidence as the Attorney General consistently asked Jakpa to stick to the evidence on record.
While Jakpa sometimes disagreed, Dame never forced or coerced him to change his views.
Implications
The doctoring of the tape calls into question the integrity of the NDC’s attempt to discredit Dame. It suggests that the party was willing to manipulate evidence to support its political agenda.
The tape also supports Dame’s previous claims that he acted in good faith and did not pressure Jakpa to alter witness statements.
Calls For Investigation
The evidence of tape doctoring has sparked calls for an investigation into the NDC’s actions by section of the public. Legal experts have argued that the party may have committed perjury.
NDC Claims
The NDC released a 16-minute audio recording as evidence to support their allegations of coaching made by the third accused, Richard Jakpa, in the ongoing ambulance bribery case involving Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
According to the NDC, the recording captures a conversation between Attorney General Godfred Dame and Jakpa, in which Dame allegedly instructs Jakpa on the statements to make in court, specifically targeting Dr. Forson.
“This tape reveals a clear attempt to influence Mr. Jakpa’s testimony, which is a serious violation of judicial ethics,” said NDC Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah during a press conference on Tuesday.
Nketiah emphasised that the alleged coaching was intended to shape Jakpa’s statements to implicate Dr. Forson.
The controversy erupted after Jakpa, in his testimony in court last week, claimed that he had been pressured to provide testimony detrimental to the Minority Leader.
The NDC has maintained that this tape corroborates Jakpa’s claims and raises serious questions about the conduct of the Attorney General.
The recording, according to the NDC, will be submitted to the court and other relevant authorities for further investigation.
The NDC has called for the immediate suspension of Dame while the allegations are being investigated.
The Attorney General’s office has yet to issue a statement in response to the allegations.