An Accra High Court has admitted into evidence an audio recording between Richard Jakpa and Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame to facilitate the cross-examination of Jakpa.
This decision follows the Attorney General’s objection to the audio’s relevance to the primary trial.
Despite that objection, the trial judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe reviewed the arguments from both sides and ruled in favour of admitting the audio.
According to her, the reasons for admitting the recording during the mistrial application on June 6, 2024, still apply.
She noted that the pen drive containing the recording has been admitted in the interest of fairness since any electronic evidence by the prosecution would have been allowed.
Subsequently, lawyers for Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson began cross-examining Jakpa based on the recording.
The third accused, Richard Jakpa, had recorded a telephone conversation with Godfred Dame, allegedly revealing that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) was pressuring Jakpa to implicate former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr. Ato Forson. Jakpa defended his decision to make the recording.
However, the presiding judge ruled that the tape contained no instructions from Godfred Dame to implicate Ato Forson. The audio was presented by Dr Forson as part of an application for a mistrial, which was ultimately dismissed.
In her assessment, Justice Botwe noted that while the recording showcased a conversation between Jakpa and Dame, it did not support the claim that Dame instructed Jakpa to implicate Forson. She clarified that the statements suggesting such an implication were made by Jakpa, not by the Attorney General.
Therefore, the judge concluded that the claims of coercion were unfounded, affirming that the words implicating Ato Forson originated from Richard Jakpa himself.
