The High Court in Accra hearing the case of willfully causing financial loss to the state (Ambulance trial) against a former deputy finance minister and others has directed the National Security to investigate the source of an unauthorised audio recording of court proceedings.

This came up on Tuesday during the cross-examination by the Attorney General (AG).

It was after Deputy Attorney General, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah had indicated that an audio recording of proceedings of Thursday, June 13 was making the rounds on social media.

After the request, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe retired into chambers and invited the parties in the case.

The prosecution was represented by the two Deputy Attorneys General, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah and Diana Asonaba Dapaah, and the Director of Public Prosecution, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa.

Subsequently, the two accused, Richard Jakpa and Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, were also invited into chambers.

The defense team was represented by Dr. Abdul Basit Aziz Bamba and Thaddeus Sory.

After returning from chambers, Thaddeus Sory requested a brief meeting with the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, who had arrived by then.

Justice Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court judge, subsequently directed that National Security investigate the source of the recordings.

The Court also cautioned that if the act continues, it would be compelled to conduct the proceedings in-camera.

On June 13, the trial judge in the ongoing ambulance case Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, admitted an audio recording involving the Attorney-General and businessman Richard Jakpa into evidence.

According to her, the reasons for admitting the recording during the June 6, 2024 mistrial application still apply. 

She noted that the pen drive containing the recording had been admitted in the interest of fairness, since any electronic evidence by the prosecution would have been allowed.

The controversy began when lawyers representing Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson attempted to introduce the audio recording into evidence, prompting an objection from the Attorney General, who questioned the foundation and relevance of the recording.

The audio recording, previously admitted and pivotal in the trial judge's mistrial decision, was tendered again by defence lawyers, who argue that it forms a crucial basis for the charges of causing financial loss to the state made by the Attorney General.