Court dismisses Ato Forson’s mistrial application in Ambulance Case
The High Court in Accra has dismissed an application by Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson seeking a mistrial and an inquiry into the conduct of the Attorney General in the ongoing ambulance case.
The trial judge ruled that Ato Forson failed to demonstrate any statutory provisions that would warrant a mistrial or an investigation into the Attorney General’s actions. On Monday, June 3, Ato Forson filed a supplementary affidavit supporting his motion for a mistrial, an injunction, and/or a stay of proceedings against him and two others.
Ato Forson’s legal team based their application on a leaked tape purportedly featuring a conversation between Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame and the third accused, Richard Jakpa. In the recording, Dame allegedly attempts to coach Jakpa to implicate Ato Forson in the trial. The affidavit claims that the Attorney General’s conduct warrants declaring the prosecution a mistrial.
“It has become necessary to file this affidavit to bring certain pertinent, material, and relevant matters to the Court’s attention and in the interest of justice, which have a bearing on the fair and just determination of the current application,” the affidavit states.
Ato Forson further argued that not ordering a mistrial, given the apparent disregard for the rule of law and ethical standards of prosecution by the Attorney General, could severely undermine public confidence in the judicial process.
Despite these arguments, the court found no grounds to grant the application for a mistrial or an inquiry into the Attorney General’s conduct. The trial will proceed as scheduled.
