A private legal practitioner has challenged the appropriateness of a petition submitted to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service seeking an investigation into former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame over alleged misconduct.
Kwame Adofo spoke on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday, September 25, asserting that the CID lacks jurisdiction over claims of evidence fabrication or perjury involving a legal practitioner. “Evidence fabrication or perjury is not a matter for the CID.
That is for the Attorney General to prosecute, or for the General Legal Council to deal with under ethical rules,” he explained.
The petition, filed on September 23, 2025, by Richard Jakpa, alleges that Dame advised him to give false testimony in court to implicate Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who is the first accused person in the ongoing ambulance procurement case. Jakpa’s filing also claims that Dame suggested he obtain a false medical excuse to delay court proceedings.
The allegations arise from the high-profile ambulance procurement trial, where Jakpa is the third accused alongside Dr. Forson and businessman Richard Adjei. Dame had been leading the prosecution before his departure from office.
Adofo dismissed the petition as politically motivated and questioned the CID’s ability to adjudicate such complex matters of legal ethics. “It is your word against the Attorney General’s. What exactly is the CID supposed to investigate?” he asked.
He emphasized that established mechanisms exist for addressing lawyer misconduct through the General Legal Council.
“If you feel a lawyer has acted unethically, there is a forum — the General Legal Council. The CID has no locus,” Adofo said, adding that attempts to involve the police could politicize state institutions. “You cannot go after a lawyer personally just because you think you were wrongly prosecuted.
That is not democracy,” he added.
In his petition, Jakpa claims Dame urged him to testify in a manner that would “dishonestly, wickedly and without an iota of conscience implicate Dr. Ato Forson,” and requests the CID investigate Dame to ensure he faces “the full consequences if found to be culpable.”
The General Legal Council, established under the Legal Profession Act, is the statutory body responsible for regulating Ghana’s legal profession. It has authority to investigate complaints and impose sanctions where misconduct is proven.
Jakpa’s approach is unusual, as prosecutorial conduct is typically challenged through appeals courts or professional regulatory bodies rather than criminal investigation units. The CID’s response to the petition is still pending, while legal observers monitor the potential impact on the ongoing ambulance procurement case.
Former Attorney General Dame has previously defended his actions, maintaining that his discussions with Jakpa remained within professional boundaries and denying any attempt to coach witnesses or fabricate evidence.
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