A new twist has emerged in the long-running legal battle involving the state and some high-profile individuals, as a citizen has formally petitioned t
A new twist has emerged in the long-running legal battle involving the state and some high-profile individuals, as a citizen has formally petitioned the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe allegations of judicial interference involving Supreme Court Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi and his cousin, Richard Jakpa, a national security capo.
In a petition dated September 29, 2025, Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta, a resident of Kyebi, accused Justice Kulendi and Jakpa of conspiring to obstruct justice in the criminal case titled “Republic v. Cassiel Ato Forson & 2 Others.”
The case, which began in January 2023, involved the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, who, together with two others, were standing trial over financial irregularities linked to the purchase of ambulances for Ghana.
Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the case and currently the Director of Special Operations at the National Security Council, is a former military officer who was dismissed from the Ghana Armed Forces in 2007 for unsatisfactory conduct.
Daniel Ofori-Atta’s petition stresses that Jakpa is also a cousin of Justice Kulendi—a relationship he claims has been exploited to influence the outcome of the trial.
According to the petition, Richard Jakpa allegedly solicited Justice Kulendi’s intervention on the very day he was arraigned before court—January 18, 2023—seeking the Supreme Court judge’s help to bypass his bail conditions.
Ofori-Atta alleges that Justice Kulendi personally approached the then Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, requesting that Jakpa be released despite not meeting the bail requirements.
The petition further cites courtroom revelations in June 2024, when under cross-examination, Richard Jakpa admitted that it was Justice Kulendi who provided him with the Attorney-General’s contact.
Richard Jakpa subsequently flooded Godfred Dame’s phone with 68 WhatsApp messages, while the Attorney-General only replied twice. This correspondence, according to Ofori-Atta, was tendered in evidence during the trial.
What raises further suspicion, the petitioner argues, is that after Dame rebuffed Jakpa’s repeated requests for private meetings, Justice Kulendi allegedly hosted the Attorney-General in his residence on four different occasions.
During those visits, Kulendi is said to have secretly invited Jakpa, lobbying the Attorney-General to either halt the prosecution or ensure Richard Jakpa’s acquittal at the “submission of no case” stage of the trial. Court records reportedly confirm these interactions.
Daniel Ofori-Atta insists that the conduct of the Supreme Court judge and his cousin amounts to interference in the administration of justice, a criminal offence under the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
He has attached copies of WhatsApp exchanges, as well as certified trial records from June 2024 proceedings, to back his claims.
The petition demands that the CID investigate both Justice Kulendi and Jakpa to establish the full extent of their alleged misconduct and take prosecutorial action if necessary.
“This is not only dishonourable but also borders on the commission of crimes,” Daniel Ofori-Atta wrote.
This development adds another layer to the already politically charged ambulance trial, which has seen courtroom drama, leaked recordings, and public debates about the independence of state prosecutors.
If the CID proceeds with investigations, it could trigger one of the most significant judicial accountability cases in the recent history.
In a related development, Jakpa has also petition the CID to investigate Dame over alleged misconduct.
Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta is set to petition the President for the removal of Justice Yonny Kulendi on grounds of misconduct and stated misbehaviour.
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