Former Attorney-General Godfred Dame Dragged to General Legal Council
The immediate past Attorney General and Minister of Justice Godfred Yeboah Dame has been formally reported to the General Legal Council (GLC) for alleged professional misconduct. The complaint was filed by a private citizen Daniel Kwame Ofosu Appiah, in relation to Dame’s conduct in the ongoing high-profile case The Republic v. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson & Another.
According to details of the petition Ofosu Appiah accuses Mr. Dame of breaching professional ethics and legal procedures by attempting to influence the testimony of the third accused in the case Mr. Richard Jakpa. The complaint references a widely circulated audio recording that has been admitted into evidence in court as Exhibit 9 for A1.
In the recording Godfred Dame is allegedly heard urging Jakpa to give testimony in a manner that contradicts the facts previously explained by the accused himself. Jakpa who is at the center of the controversy claimed in open court that Dame made repeated attempts to reach out to him at odd hours, pressuring him to testify in a way that would implicate Minority Leader Dr. Ato Forson.
The 16 minute audio was made public by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) during a press conference held in Accra on May 28, 2024. In the tape Dame is heard suggesting that Jakpa’s altered testimony would not harm him, despite Jakpa’s insistence that the truth was supported by documents and contractual evidence.
Although the audio has been accepted as evidence by both the High Court and the Court of Appeal an application for a mistrial filed by Dr. Ato Forson was dismissed. The presiding judge ruled that the Minority Leader had not provided sufficient legal grounds to halt the trial or to demand an investigation into the Attorney General’s conduct.
Nonetheless the filing of a formal complaint at the General Legal Council marks a new phase in the saga. The petitioner argues that Dame’s actions as captured on tape and recognized by the courts, amount to an interference with the judicial process and a violation of the constitutional right to a fair trial, enshrined under Article 19(2) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The General Legal Council is now expected to review the complaint and determine whether Mr. Dame’s conduct warrants disciplinary action. The case has sparked widespread public debate, with many Ghanaians calling for greater accountability in the justice system, especially from top legal officials.
As the legal proceedings continue, all eyes are on the General Legal Council to ensure that the integrity of the legal profession is upheld, and that no oneregardless of status is above ethical scrutiny.