A former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Mr Ansah Asare, has called for the resignation of Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, following controversy over a reported private meeting with an accused person.

Mr Ansah Asare, who is also a private legal practitioner, expressed concern over Mr Dame’s conduct, suggesting it undermines the integrity of his office. 

"My candid opinion is that the learned Attorney General knows or is deemed to know the law," he said during an interview on Monday, 27 May 2024.

He argued that the Attorney General, as the state's lawyer, should not meet with an accused person privately, particularly under questionable circumstances.

The controversy stems from allegations made by Mr Richard Jakpa, the third accused in an ambulance purchase trial. 

Mr Jakpa claimed that Mr Dame had previously approached him to build a case against the Minority Leader and former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson. 

Under cross-examination, Mr Jakpa suggested that Mr Dame had tried to enlist his help outside official channels, stating, “The AG has, on several occasions, engaged me at odd hours to help him make a case against A1 and I have evidence for that.”

Responding to these allegations, a spokesperson for the Attorney General's Department, Mr Isaac Wilberforce Mensah, clarified that the meeting in question took place at a pre-negotiation stage when Mr Jakpa was not represented by counsel. 

He confirmed that a Supreme Court judge was also present during this meeting.

Mr Ansah Asare recalled a similar incident from 1975 involving a plea bargain in the case of The Republic vs. Dr Isaac Ohene Gyan, which led to the resignation of the then-Attorney General, Justice Austin Amissah. 

Drawing parallels, he urged Mr Dame, in a Joy FM interview, to consider resigning, emphasising the scandalous nature of the current situation.

The incident has sparked calls from other lawyers for a thorough investigation by the appropriate state institutions, given the serious implications for the delivery of justice in Ghana. 

Both the Attorney General and Mr Jakpa have indicated they possess further evidence to support their respective claims.