Private lawyer Bobby Banson has said that the Attorney General’s choice to appeal the acquittal of the defendants in the ambulance trial is good for the law.
Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General, plans to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision that cleared Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa on July 30.
The Court of Appeal overturned the trial court’s order for the defendants to present their defense and agreed with their no-case appeal.
The defendants were accused of causing a €2.37 million loss to the state in an ambulance deal.
Justice Alex Poku Acheampong disagreed with the decision, while Justices Kweku Tawiah Ackah-Boafo and Philip Bright Mensah supported it.
Dame said the court’s decision hurts the fight against wrongdoing and the rule of law, and he will appeal.
Banson, speaking on Channel One TV’s Point of View, supported Dame’s decision.
“For the sake of the law I would wish that AG appeal…They say there are some exceptions. It is only the Supreme Court that can tell us whether these exceptions are here or not, but I must be quick to add that even though the court of appeal ultimately upheld the appeal filed, it is not every submission that was made by the accused persons or the appellants that was upheld by Justice Ackah-Boafo.”
He added, “So for instance Justice Ackah-Boafo struck out almost all the grounds of appeal that was filed but ultimately rested the decision on the grounds of whether or not the submissions were supported by the evidence that was adduced…So it will be interesting to see if the AG indeed files the notice of appeal how it will go.”
