Richard Jakpa, the third accused person in the ongoing ambulance case, has challenged the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, to appear in court and refute the allegations he has made against him. 

Mr Jakpa has accused Mr Dame of witness tampering and fabricating evidence, claims which are detailed in a phone conversation that has been publicised.

Mr Jakpa insists that the case should be tried in court, not in the public sphere, and is calling on the Attorney-General to present his evidence to support his assertions in court.

• Read also: AG/Jakpa leaked tape: I’m surprised Dame is still at post – Franklin Cudjoe

Addressing the issue of the leaked tape’s authenticity, Jakpa has dared anyone disputing it to produce their own tape to counter his.

In an exclusive interview with JoyNews ahead of the highly-anticipated hearing on Tuesday, June 4, Jakpa expressed his confidence in securing justice. 

He emphasised that the allegations he has raised are serious and should be addressed within the legal framework.

"He lAG] should come to court and come and refute the allegations and set the records according to his opinion straight and the way it is supposed to be. I have done mine in court, and I am expecting him to come and do his part. The case is in court and not in public opinion," he told JoyNews Latif Iddrissu.

Richard Jakpa, under cross-examination, revealed that the Attorney General had been contacting him at unusual hours to solicit testimony against the Minority Leader.

This revelation has sparked discussions among Ghanaians, with some individuals calling for the resignation of Attorney General Godfred Dame.

• Read also: Alex Segbefia urges Dame to resign to protect reputation of Ghana’s legal profession

Dr Ato Forson, a former Deputy Finance Minister and current Minority Leader, is currently on trial for his alleged involvement in the procurement of defective ambulances for Ghana. He is accused of causing financial loss to the state to the tune of 2.3 million Euros.

Subsequently, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at a press conference played a 16-minute tape allegedly featuring a conversation between the Attorney General and Jakpa. 

But the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has refuted the claims made in the audio, asserting that it has been "doctored and manipulated" with malicious intent.

Ambulance trial: AG describes Jakpa’s application as frivolous, vexatious

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General has opposed an application for an order striking out the charges and terminating the proceedings or staying proceedings against Richard Jakpa, third accused in the trial of Dr Ato Forson and one other.

The AG described the application as an abuse of process and unmeritorious.

In an affidavit in opposition, the AG said no proper grounds had been canvassed by the applicant to warrant a grant of that application, which was unknown to criminal procedure and practice in Ghana.

"…That the instant application is a rush and a desperate smoke screen by the applicant to abort his legitimate prosecution for the role he played in causing financial loss to the State in the purchase of ordinary vans purporting to be ambulances," the AG said.

The AG said the application, anchored on "untruths and a skilful manipulation of facts", sought to cloth the applicant with immunity from prosecution and to that extent, "incompetent and offensive to Ghanaian law".