The High Court in Accra has decided to let an audio recording between Richard Jakpa and Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame be used as evidence. This recording will be used when Richard Jakpa is questioned.
The Office of the Attorney General didn’t think the audio was important for the main trial. But after looking at the reasons for and against using it, the judge said it should be allowed.
Lawyers for Ato Forson have started asking Richard Jakpa questions about the audio.
The third person accused in the case recorded a phone call with Godfred Dame. In the call, it was said that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was going to force the accused to say things against Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who used to be the Deputy Finance Minister.
Richard Jakpa explained why he decided to record the conversation.
A judge who listened to the recording said it didn’t show that Godfred Dame told Mr. Jakpa to say things against Ato Forson.
Ato Forson gave the audio conversation to the court as part of his request for a mistrial.
Justice Afia Serwah Asare Botwe, while saying no to the request for a mistrial, looked at what was said in the recording. She did this after saying no to the Attorney General’s objection to giving the court the pen drive with the audio.
The Judge said that the conversation shows that Richard Jakpa and Godfred Dame talked to each other. However, the conversation doesn’t prove that the Attorney General asked Richard Jakpa to say things against Ato Forson.
She also found that the Attorney General didn’t say he needed Richard Jakpa’s help to make Ato Forson look bad. Instead, those things were said by Richard Jakpa himself.
According to Justice Afia Serwah Asare Botwe, those are Richard Jakpa’s own words.
