Deputy Attorney General Alfred Tuah Yeboah has dismissed claims that Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame’s comments regarding Ato Forson’s acquittal were inappropriate or targeted any judge.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, Tuah Yeboah emphasized that there are no grounds to prevent Dame from addressing the upcoming Ghana Bar Association (GBA) Conference.
Addressing the GBA’s criticism of Dame’s comments following the case verdict, Tuah Yeboah highlighted the need for clarity on where the AG went wrong.
“If we had filed an appeal and in it, one of the grounds indicated that the judgement is perverse and cannot be supported by the evidence on record, would that be wrong?” he questioned.
“If you say a judgement is erroneous or illogical and lacks grounds for appeal, will that also be wrong?”
He defended the Attorney General’s right to state appeal grounds clearly and directly, asserting, “With all due respect, the AG’s statement is a normal statement.”
Tuah Yeboah further clarified that Dame’s comments did not constitute an attack on any judge but were merely an expression of disagreement with the judgment.
“He never attacked the judges in any way,” he stated, suggesting that the GBA should have discussed their concerns with Dame to understand his choice of words. Such a conversation, he added, would have provided clarity.
The GBA had publicly criticized the Attorney General for describing the Appeals Court’s judgment as ‘perverse,’ ‘grossly unfair,’ and ‘erroneous.’
GBA Public Relations Officer Saviour Kudze argued that the Justice Minister’s choice of words was unwarranted.
“Assuming the decisions were made in his favour, would he be using such words?” he questioned.
Kudze emphasized that as the leader of the Bar, the Attorney General should avoid using such language.
“You could say you disagree with the verdict of the court and you will take steps. I think that is what everybody does,” he remarked.
He concluded, “But an official leader using such words, we take exception to it.”