Martin Kpebu Slams Former Attorney General Godfred Dame Over Controversial Jakpa Tape
Renowned private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has publicly criticized former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame over his alleged misconduct in the ongoing case involving Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and businessman Richard Jakpa.
Speaking on The Keypoints show on TV3 monitored by mrwoode.com on Saturday, May 24, 2025, Kpebu described Dame’s actions captured in a now infamous audio recording between him and Jakpa as unethical, embarrassing, and destructive to Ghana’s criminal justice system.
This thing has embarrassed us. It has brought the criminal justice system so low, Kpebu said. The statements from the tape sought to destroy the justice system. We were all clear that the Attorney General had breached the rules of ethics.
The controversy stems from a criminal case involving the alleged loss of €2.37 million to the state in connection with an ambulance procurement deal between 2014 and 2016. The deal involved Big Sea, a company represented by Jakpa. Both Forson and Jakpa have denied the charges brought against them, which include willfully causing financial loss to the state and breaching the Public Procurement Act.
In June 2024, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) released a secretly recorded conversation between Dame and Jakpa, which was later admitted into evidence by the court. In the tape, Dame allegedly urged Jakpa to adjust his testimony in a manner that could implicate Dr. Forson. The recording also raised questions about Dame’s conduct, including whether he attempted to communicate with Jakpa without the knowledge of his legal counsel.
Kpebu insisted that such conduct should not be tolerated in any functioning democracy. We don’t need the General Legal Council to tell us that it’s unethical, he said. We all heard what Godfred Dame said in that tape. It is not acceptable in a democracy like ours.
The matter has now reached the General Legal Council (GLC), Ghana’s legal regulatory body. A Ghanaian citizen, Daniel Kwame Ofosu Appiah has formally petitioned the GLC to investigate and, if warranted, sanction Dame for violating the Legal Profession Act, 1960 (Act 32). The petition accuses the former Attorney General of attempting to influence Jakpa’s testimony outside legal and ethical boundaries.
The GLC is expected to examine the complaint and determine whether Dame’s conduct breached professional standards. Meanwhile, legal observers and citizens continue to call for transparency, accountability, and the protection of Ghana’s judicial integrity.
As the case unfolds the spotlight remains on how the legal profession and justice system respond to these serious allegations involving one of the country’s former top legal officers.