The third accused in the ongoing ambulance procurement trial, Richard Jakpa, is confident he will emerge victorious.
He believes the evidence presented in court supports his position and is optimistic it will convince the court beyond reasonable doubt.
In an interview on JoyNews’ “The Pulse” on July 3, Jakpa explained his consistent smile despite facing potential jail time.
When host Elton John Brobbey asked about his demeanor, Jakpa responded, “I don’t think so because of the evidence that I have adduced in court. I am very confident that I will come out victorious based upon the evidence in court.”
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa are on trial for allegedly causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state through a contract to purchase 200 ambulances for the Ministry of Health, among other charges.
In April, Jakpa, during cross-examination, revealed that the Attorney General had been contacting him at unusual hours to solicit testimony against the Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson.
This revelation has ignited discussions among Ghanaians, with some calling for the resignation of Attorney General Godfred Dame.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) publicly released a 16-minute tape featuring a conversation between the Attorney General and Jakpa.
Subsequently, on June 13, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, the trial judge, admitted the audio recording into evidence, along with WhatsApp chats between the two. The prosecution has completed its cross-examination of Richard Jakpa.