On Tuesday, June 20, Richard Jakpa, the second accused person on trial with Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson, received a severe warning from the court against participating in acts of contempt.
The warning came after outbursts by the CEO of Big Sea Trading LLC, who is on trial with the minority leader on charges of inflicting financial harm to the state.
It all started when the accused was almost barred from using the loo while the hearings were continuing. Richard Jakpa sought to leave the courtroom during cross-examination of Cassiel Ato Forson’s first witness, but a reluctant Judge Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe permitted him to use the restroom within the courtroom.
Following that, the judge provided Jakpa sanitizer, but he voiced displeasure with the judge for first prohibiting him from using the restroom.
This outburst enraged Judge Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, who took offence and called the accused’s behaviour disrespectful.
She admonished Jakpa not to repeat such behaviour and threatened to use her abilities freely if he did.
“How could you talk to the court in that manner?” This should be the last time you insult the court; if you do, I will fully exercise my powers,” the Court of Appeal judge serving as an additional High Court judge stated angrily.
Meanwhile, Cassiel Ato Forson, the first accused individual, has begun his defence with a subpoenaed witness, an executive of the Stanbic Bank, which was asked by the Ghanaian government to give letters of credit for the purchase of 200 ambulances.
In his testimony, the witness who said he worked on the letters of credit as required by the government revealed that the deal between the government, however, did not materialize.
He noted that he did not have the full reflection of events and will require a month to get some of the documents relating to the deal which have been sent to their archive.
But Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe who did not see the relevance of the documents refused the request saying it will unduly delay the trial.
