High court admits full WhatsApp chats between Jakpa and Attorney-General into evidence
In a significant development in the ongoing ambulance procurement trial, the High Court in Accra has admitted the entire WhatsApp conversation between Richard Jakpa, the third accused, and Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame into evidence.
The trial judge, Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, noted that the court had previously accepted portions of WhatsApp messages from Mr. Jakpa and could not reject the prosecution’s submission of the full conversation. However, she emphasized that the court retains the discretion to determine the relevance and weight of the evidence presented.
During an earlier hearing on Tuesday, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa highlighted the substantial volume of messages sent by Mr. Jakpa compared to the limited responses from the Attorney-General. The DPP sought to introduce all of Mr. Jakpa’s WhatsApp messages into evidence to provide a comprehensive view of the communication.
Mr. Jakpa admitted that he had introduced himself to the Attorney-General before the trial and had obtained the Justice Minister’s contact information through his cousin, Supreme Court Judge Justice Yonny Kulendi. Under cross-examination, Mr. Jakpa acknowledged that the messages presented in court were selectively chosen and did not represent the entire conversation. His counsel, Mr. Thaddeus Sory, objected to the submission of the full WhatsApp conversation, arguing that the defense needed more time to review the messages thoroughly.
Justice Asare-Botwe had in a previous hearing admitted an audio recording involving the Attorney-General and Mr. Jakpa into evidence. She stated that the reasons for admitting the recording during the mistrial application on June 6, 2024, remained valid. The pen drive containing the recording was admitted in the interest of fairness, as any electronic evidence from the prosecution would have been allowed.
