The third accused in the ambulance trial, Richard Jakpa has admitted that he only submitted what he considered relevant information in the engagement with the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame.
When prosecution led by the Director of Public Prosecution, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa asked the businessman about his inability to submit the full complement of his engagement with the Attorney-General, Jakpa asserted that it was not necessary to his case.
Below is a portion of cross-examination of Richard Jakpa by prosecution:
DPP: And by the time the prosecution filed the charge sheet the Attorney-General did not know you and had never met you before. You are aware.
Jakpa: I am not aware of that.
DPP: Have you met the Attorney-General anywhere as at December 2021?
Jakpa: I have met the Attorney-General in my cousin’s house, but I have never had any interactions with him because we were not friends. He was the Deputy Attorney-General then.
DPP: I suggest to you that as December 2021 A-G did not know you.
Jakpa: That is his claim. I can’t confirm that for him.
DPP: The A-G also did not know you were cousin of Yonny Kulendi as at the time we filed the charge sheet.
Jakpa: I cannot confirm that because I’m not in his mind. I met him in my cousin’s house and whether he knew I was cousin of Yonny Kulendi I don’t know that.
DPP: You are the one who introduced yourself to A-G as a cousin of Yonny Kulendi. Is that not, right?
Jakpa: That is not entirely right because I took his number from my cousin Justice Yonny Kulendi and sent him a message on WhatsApp and since he didn’t have my number, I needed to introduce myself for him to know where I got his number from. That is why that introduction.
DPP: You have said you sent the A-G a message on WhatsApp to introduce yourself to him but that is not indicated on exhibit 10 for A1 (WhatsApp chat in evidence).
Jakpa: It is true I sent him a message introducing myself but that is not here. I admit that I sent a WhatsApp message introducing myself.
DPP: You have said that exhibit 10 for A1 does not include your introductory message to AG. Is that correct?
Jakpa: That is correct.
DPP: So, exhibit 10 for A1 is not the full complement of your WhatsApp conversation with AG.
Jakpa: I presented the relevant portions of the conversation that will make my case. The WhatsApp conversation was between the attorney general and me and he is at liberty to bring the other portion if he feels will discredit what I have out here. But to me they were not relevant.
DPP: You sent about 68 messages to the attorney general and he sent you only two responses from the attorney general.
Jakpa: Yes, my Lord. I don’t have the number of WhatsApps sent off head but what I do know and is on his phone and my phone is that he called me and gave me an assignment and I executed the assignment, gave him feedback and he acknowledged the feedback.
Prior to that I had sent him a message and requesting for private meeting with him at time and place of his convenience and he responded that he will arrange at my cousin’s house through my cousin. I didn’t suggest my cousin. All the other WhatsApp apart from the evidence he requested and I have him in my cousin’s house the rest are motivational messages.
