John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer for the 2024 elections, has openly criticized the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Godfred Dame.
Mahama accused Dame of acting more like a lawyer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) rather than performing his role impartially.
In an interview with TV3 on Tuesday, July 30, Mahama expressed his concerns following the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge the defendants in the ambulance procurement case. He suggested that the Attorney-General’s reputation has been significantly tarnished.
Mahama referenced a leaked phone call between the Attorney-General and Richard Jakpa, one of the previously accused individuals. In the call, the AG allegedly discussed manipulating witnesses to ensure the Minority Leader’s conviction.
Mahama pledged that if he is elected in the upcoming election, his administration will prioritize the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice focusing on genuine accountability rather than political vendettas.
He expressed his intention to restore credibility and fairness to the justice system, criticizing the current attorney general’s actions as unprofessional.
This Attorney-General has lost credibility. In any other country, given the witness coaching and questionable discussions, this prosecution would have been dismissed as malicious.
– John Mahama
Mahama continued, arguing that the prosecution was indeed malicious. He pointed out that the Attorney-General does not show the same energy in pursuing other cases, particularly those involving the current administration, such as the larger ambulance procurement issue, which has been neglected.
He described Dame as overly eager to pursue political adversaries, likening him to an NPP legal advocate rather than a neutral justice minister.
Mahama assured that if his party returns to power, they will hold the outgoing administration accountable while also ensuring that their own members are subject to the same standards of justice.
Finally, Mahama criticized Dame for seemingly forgetting his dual role as Minister of Justice and Attorney-General.
The Minister of Justice, Mahama noted, is supposed to uphold fairness, and he argued that such cases, as seen under Dame’s tenure, would have been dismissed in any fair jurisdiction.
