The Ghana Armed Forces appeared at the High Court in Accra on Thursday, July 18, 2024, in the ongoing trial of minority leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson after being called by the lawyer for the third defendant in the case, Richard Jakpa.
After the prosecution had looked into Jakpa’s military record, the lawyers summoned the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) Military Chief, Airman General Nana Adu Gyamfi and the Chief of Staff (CDS), Major General Thomas Oppong Peprah, to testify on Jakpa’s military record. Military records, including the third defendant’s dismissal letter, were submitted as evidence, but only the former existed.
In cross-examination by Jakpa’s lawyer, Airman General Adu Gyamfi, in charge of military records, admitted that he was not the person who released Jakpa’s military records that the Attorney General’s office had submitted to the court.
Only through cross-examination of witnesses by Attorney-General Godfred Dame did further details of Jakpa’s military record emerge.
The Attorney-General had Air General Addo Gyamfi read out a report into Jakpa’s conduct during his time in the military, which highlighted a number of issues.
The report submitted by Jakpa’s then Commander enumerated numerous offences committed by the third defendant during his service, including ingratitude and insubordination.
Below are the details of the report read out by the GAF Military Secretary:
Special Report on the Conduct of Lt. RA Jakpa GH2899 in the
Regiment (Burma Armoured Regiment camp) during this period is not only unacceptable but reeks of sloppy, sloppy and unprofessional.
The officer (then Commander K. Oppong) appeared twice for my interrogation. The first time was on 2nd October 2001 when the officer parked his military vehicle overnight outside his barracks at his home. The car and driver were parked, but the man took them to his home, shot the driver and abandoned the car at his home.
The second interrogation took place on 4 September 2002 when the officer did not return to his unit, 2 Independent Reconnaissance Squadron, Sunyani, after completing his Practical Officer Promotion Examination in 2002. The Squadron Leaders of the two Reconnaissance Squadrons had reported indiscipline against Lt RA Jakpa at different times. The first report dated 18 January 2002 was submitted by the then Squadron Leader, Col Nii Osu Ansah, when the officer did not return to his unit after attending a course in Accra.
Capt B. (sic) also submitted another report dated 28 June 2002 on the officer’s failure to return to his unit after completing his Practical Officer Promotion Examination in 2002. It was in this connection that he appeared for questioning by me for the second time.
In addition to this lack of discipline and unprofessional behaviour, the officer was involved in an incident during his service with UNIFIL Gamba 57 where he owed a local Lebanese businessman, Mr. Tariq, $400.00. Only after an urgent request from the Ghanaian Contingent Command did the officer pay the amount. Previously, a local Ghanaian narrated to me a case where he had been given items from Beirut, including money, by a Ghanaian residing in Beirut, but the items and money were not handed over until asked for.
The officer was nominated to attend an orientation course for the RATEB ICV course at the Regimental Headquarters of the Scout Regiment from 3rd to 28th May 2004. He attended classes three days in the first week, one day in the second week, and only one day in the third week. He is now being indicted. The indictment and evidence will be filed separately. Furthermore, there are numerous undocumented instances of indiscipline and misconduct on the part of the officers, to which both officers and members of the regiment can attest.
Officer Jakpa’s conduct within the regiment certainly appears to have reached a climax, as both formal and informal interrogations have failed to produce positive results. Respectfully submitted the necessary measures.
Lt. Col. Oppong Kyere, Commander
