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0 Mensah Thompson, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), has contended that the alleged conduct of Attorney-General Godfred Dame Yebaoh must not be left to the NPP and NDC for political expediency.
His comment follows a leaked telephone conversation in which Mr Dame appears to coerce Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the ongoing ambulance case, to implicate Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
The development had sparked public criticism of the conduct of the Attorney-General.
Dr. Ato Forson, a former Deputy Finance Minister, along with two others, is on trial for allegedly causing financial loss to the state through the importation of 30 ambulances.
This forms part of a 2012 contract between the Ministry of Health and Dubai-based firm, Big Sea Limited, for the purchase of 200 ambulances.
The prosecution claims Dr. Ato Forson issued letters of credit without authorization from his then-boss, Finance Minister Seth Terkper.
Mr Mensah, in an interview with Alfred Ocansey on 3FM on Thursday, further argues that the A-G’s action is an embarrassment to the legal profession in Ghana and undermines the trust of international organisations that annually provide millions of dollars in support to CSOs and Government Agencies.
He also expressed disappointment with the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) for its silence on the matter.
“This very issue goes to the heart of our criminal justice system and it’s an issue that cannot be left to the usual political banter between the NDC and the NPP. For advocates like ourselves who are interested in the criminal justice system who have been advocating for a number of reforms in our justice administration system, we see this evidence coming out as a huge dent on the image of the country.
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“It is a huge dent on the image of the entire legal profession.”
He further emphasised that the conduct of the A-G and the leader of the bar amounted to an image crisis for the office of the Attorney-General, which can harm the credibility of lawyers in Ghana.
“Legal profession takes its ethics very seriously, it is one of the professions that does not joke with its standards. So for the Attorney-General to be violating the entire standard, it projects onto the general Bar and that is why it is important for the [Ghana] Bar Association to come out and condemn the conduct of the Attorney-General.”
The post A-G Leaked audio: Dame’s conduct can’t be the usual NDC, NPP politics – Mensah Thompson first appeared on 3News.
