James Quayson Petitions GLC To Investigate Attorney General For Misconduct
Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson, has petitioned the General Legal Council to investigate Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame over misconduct.
In a letter, the MP, who is facing a hurdle of court cases, highlighted what he perceived were instances of improper conduct by the Attorney General.
Mr Quayson, in the said letter, particularly pointed to an incident that occurred on the last court date, July 19, 2023, during legal proceedings.
According to him, the Attorney General failed to inform the court about an attachment referenced by a witness.
He contended that this conduct contradicted the expected professional behaviour of lawyers.
“The ‘testimony’ provided by the AG contradicted the testimony of his own witness and was presented for the first time without prior notice to my lawyers or myself as to the facts known to the prosecution.
“Significantly, after the intervention of the AG, when my counsel asked the witness whether he still stood by his testimony that he had attached documents to his police statement, the witness would not provide an answer to the question.
“In effect, the testimony of the witness had been influenced by the professionally improper testimony of the Attorney General,” the MP stated.
The MP further alleged that the Attorney General resorted to insulting language during a court session on June 16.
“This gratuitous insult on the part of the Attorney-General was without any basis and had no place in the trial and, I am advised by my lawyers, is contrary to the Rules of Professional Conduct of lawyers”.
According to the MP, the Minister of Justice also misconducted himself by granting at least one media interview about the perjury case before the Accra High Court.
“Through his professional misconduct, the Attorney-General has clearly jeopardised my fundamental human right to be presumed innocent until I am proven guilty and my right to a fair trial,” he added.
Below is the letter.