Ambulance case: Why Richard Jakpa was dismissed from Armed Forces

Why the businessman, Richard Jakpa was dismissed from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in 2007 for “unsatisfactory conduct” has been entered into evidence as part of the ambulance trial currently ongoing at the High Court, Accra.

Jakpa has been accused of causing a financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in an ambulance deal with the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.

The Deputy Attorney-General, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, who started his cross-examination of Jakpa on Thursday [June 27, 2024] entered into evidence a letter supposedly written to dismiss Jakpa from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in 2007.

The letter included allegations of misconduct and breach of military protocols leading to his dismissal.

Jakpa’s lawyers had objected to the tendering of the letter and raised an issue of relevance but the presiding judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe admitted the document into evidence.

She said the witness had already acknowledged the document being tendered and had already said he could speak to it.

She added that the cover letters were official documents and would be admitted to prove credibility or otherwise.

The dismissal letter, written and signed on behalf of the Chief of the Army Staff by the late Brigadier General M.K.G. Ahiaglo, the then Commander of the Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces had indicated that Richard Jakpa had been released from service for “unsatisfactory conduct.”

Jakpa was then a Lieutenant in the Ghana Armed Forces.

Below is what is contained in the letter

The above-named officer was commissioned into the Armour Corps as a Regular Officer on 21 August 1998.

All things being equal, the officer should have made the rank of Captain on 21 August 2002 and a Major on 21 August 2007.

He has consistently failed his PROMEX and now lags behind his mates in rank.

Also, his service with the Colours has been largely unsatisfactory, marked by consistent fraudulent conduct, abrasiveness and general indiscipline.

In addition, Lt R. Jakpa (GH/2899) has incessantly been indebted to various people/institutions during the period.

An example was his long indebtedness to Recce Regt PRI to the tune of $300.00, which he was unable to pay till authority was sought for the amount to be deducted from his salary.

Throughout his service life, Lt R. Jakpa (GH/2899) has proved consistently that he belongs to a world incompatible with the decent and gentlemanly composure that the Presidential Commission confers on officers of the Ghana Armed Forces.

He is a bad example by all standards and his continued retention in the Service is likely to cause more harm to the Service and to himself.

Indeed, in May 2004, a special report submitted on him by his Commanding Officer suggested that the officer had reached his ceiling.

Three years on, his new Commanding Officer describes his conduct as shameful and regrettable.

From the foregoing the continued retention of Lt R. Jakpa is not in the best interest of the Ghana Armed Forces and, indeed, himself. It has accordingly been decided that Lt R. Jakpa be released from the Service forthwith.

I am therefore directed to request that Lt R. Jakpa be released from the Service for inefficiency under Article 15 Item 2 (a) (through continued lack of application or interest and Item (2) (c) (unsatisfactory conduct) of the Armed Forces Regulations Volume 1 (Admin).

Respectfully submitted

Seal

Aside from the letter being entered in evidence, the Deputy Attorney-General, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, who started the cross-examination Thursday, asked Jakpa to identify from the letter the designation of the Minister on the seal.

The seal on the letter requesting the establishment of the LCs became a subject matter of cross-examination on Thursday.

The Deputy A-G asked, “On the right, the first alphabet after Honorable, reads deputy minister finance.

However, Jakpa said the writing was not legible.

“In fact what you see there is Hon Deputy Minister of Finance,” Mr Tuah-Yeboah asked.

However, Jakpa insisted he could not see adding: “The first alphabet I see is D”.

Jakpa on Thursday told the trial court that government breached certain clauses of the contract agreement in the establishment of the letters of credit (LC).

Under cross-examination of the Attorney-General, Richard Jakpa explained that the government breached clause 5.1 when it established the LC direct to Big Sea and paid directly to Big Sea instead of his company, Jakpa at Business.

As a result, he said, “Jakpa at Business is not responsible for any financial loss caused to the state. It wasn’t the duty of government to have raised LC direct to the principal (Big Sea) in breach of this clause”.

Mr Jakpa, who had previously told the court that his company stopped dealing with the government after signing the contract agreement, added that following the breach, he commenced a civil suit leading to the Commercial Division of the High Court ruling that henceforth, “all LCs should be established in the name of Jakpa and the court was surprised how government was able to establish the LC in the name of Big Sea”.

Again, answering questions on whether a 28.7 per cent of the amount paid under the transaction went to Jakpa at Business, he said, “I know it’s 28 but I don’t know the nominal figure”.

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