Lawyer Questions CID Jurisdiction Over Jakpa Petition

Private legal practitioner Kwame Adofo has challenged the appropriateness of Richard Jakpa’s petition to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to probe former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame over alleged misconduct.

Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday, September 25, Adofo argued that the CID lacks jurisdiction to investigate allegations of evidence fabrication or perjury against a legal practitioner, asserting that such matters fall under different regulatory frameworks.

“Evidence fabrication or perjury is not a matter for the CID. That is for the Attorney General to prosecute, or for the General Legal Council to deal with under ethical rules,” Adofo explained during the morning program.

Jakpa’s petition, filed on September 23, 2025, and addressed to the CID Director, alleges that Dame advised him to give false testimony in court to incriminate Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the first accused person in the ongoing ambulance procurement case. The petition further claims Dame suggested Jakpa obtain a false medical excuse to delay court proceedings.

The allegations stem from the controversial ambulance procurement trial, where Jakpa serves as the third accused person alongside Dr. Ato Forson and businessman Richard Adjei. Dame had been prosecuting the case as Attorney General before his recent departure from office.

Adofo dismissed the petition as politically motivated, questioning the CID’s capacity to adjudicate such complex legal ethics allegations. “It is your word against the Attorney General’s. What exactly is the CID supposed to investigate?” he stressed during the radio interview.

The legal practitioner emphasized that established mechanisms exist for addressing allegations of lawyer misconduct. “If you feel a lawyer has acted unethically, there is a forum — the General Legal Council. The CID has no locus,” he stated.

In his petition, Jakpa claims Dame urged him to testify in a way that would “dishonestly, wickedly and without an iota of conscience implicate Dr. Ato Forson.” He requests that the CID investigate Dame and ensure he faces “the full consequences if found to be culpable.”

Adofo accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of “going rogue” and attempting to weaponize state institutions for political purposes. “You cannot go after a lawyer personally just because you think you were wrongly prosecuted. That is not democracy,” he added.

The controversy adds another layer to the already complex ambulance procurement case, which has involved multiple legal challenges and procedural disputes. Dame’s prosecution of the case had drawn criticism from various quarters before his recent exit from the Attorney General’s office.

The General Legal Council, established under the Legal Profession Act, serves as the regulatory body for Ghana’s legal profession and handles disciplinary matters involving lawyers. The council has authority to investigate complaints against legal practitioners and impose sanctions where misconduct is proven.

Jakpa’s petition represents an unusual approach to challenging prosecutorial conduct, typically addressed through appeals courts or professional regulatory bodies rather than criminal investigation units. The CID’s response to the petition remains pending as legal observers monitor the situation.

The ambulance procurement case continues before the courts, with the latest development potentially complicating proceedings as questions arise about prosecutorial ethics and appropriate channels for addressing such concerns.

Former Attorney General Dame has previously defended his actions in the case, maintaining that his conversations with Jakpa were within appropriate professional boundaries and denying any attempt to coach witnesses or fabricate evidence.