Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the ongoing ambulance trial in Accra High Court, took the stand again on June 20, 2024.
His first cross-examination two days earlier was explosive, facing questions from Director of Public Prosecution Yvonne Attakorah Obuobisa.
The Attorney-General Godfred Dame and his deputy Alfred Tuah-Yeboah were both present in court during this session.
Jakpa’s testimony on June 20 highlighted the admission of 68 WhatsApp chats by the prosecution. This was to counter an edited version previously presented by Jakpa.
Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe admitted these messages for the completeness of evidence, fairness to the trial, and reciprocity, despite objections from Jakpa’s lawyer, Thaddeus Sory, who questioned their relevance and authenticity, according to a report by thelawplatform.online.
“Relying on section 52 of NRCD 232, Evidence Act (1972), Mr. Sory said the admission of the messages would pose a danger of unfairly prejudicing the trial. He said there are missing parts of the conversation between the 3rd accused, Richard Jakpa, and the A-G and therefore does not give a complete picture of the correspondence between the two.
“He also argued that the processes already filed in court suggest that the A-G did not read the messages and thus the chat is not relevant for the purposes the A-G wishes to have the WhatsApp conversation tendered,” part of the thelawplatform.online report reads.
Broken Promise and Animosity Towards Dame
Jakpa revealed the reasons for his deep animosity towards Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame. He recounted a secret meeting with Dame that was supposed to result in his discharge from the trial. However, despite the agreement, Jakpa was added to the list of accused and had to present his defense.
He claimed to have provided documents to Dame that were later used to strengthen the prosecution’s case. The DPP refuted this, stating that the documents were submitted by the prosecution five months before Jakpa’s meeting with the A-G.
Jakpa also mentioned a broken promise made by Dame at the residence of his cousin, Justice Yonny Kulendi. He described his animosity towards Dame as stemming from this unfulfilled promise.
Kulendi Links and Declaration of War
Justice Yonny Kulendi played a significant role in Jakpa’s story. Jakpa recalled a promise made at Kulendi’s home to ensure his acquittal, which Dame did not fulfil. This led to Jakpa’s declaration of war against Dame.
“I wasn’t surprised by the ruling to open defense because I’m familiar with the government’s tactics of not honoring agreements with perceived political adversaries,” Jakpa stated.
He shared how he messaged Justice Kulendi about being asked to open his defense, to which Kulendi suggested Dame might contact him.
“The night I learned of the broken promise was the night I declared war on the A-G,” Jakpa declared. He vowed to use his ‘underworld skills’ against Dame’s legal expertise, indicating a personal battle regardless of the trial’s outcome.
Jakpa emphasized that the conflict was not just about potential incarceration but also about the pain, reputational damage, and loss he has suffered, which he believes cannot be compensated by an acquittal alone.
“He is using his law skills and knowledge to take my liberty away from me unjustly, and I’m also going to use my underworld skills to pay him and deal with him. Use what you know best in your law, and I’ll also use what I know best on the street and we will see who will survive,” Jakpa told the court.
Despite attempts to calm him down, Jakpa affirmed that the battle line had already been drawn.
tigpost.co