Citizen petitions CID to probe Justice Yonny Kulendi, Richard Japka in Ato Forson case

A Ghanaian citizen, Mr. Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta, has formally petitioned the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to launch an inquiry into Supreme Court Justice Yonny Kulendi and businessman Richard Jakpa over alleged attempts to obstruct justice in the ongoing case of Republic v. Cassiel Ato Forson & 2 Others.

Mr. Ofori-Atta explained that his action is driven by his commitment to safeguarding the rule of law, democratic governance, and accountability.

He urged the CID to investigate the pair “to unravel all acts of criminality disclosed by their conduct, and take such prosecutorial action as the law requires.”

The petition, which references court proceedings and communications, claims that Mr. Jakpa leveraged a family relationship with Justice Kulendi in a bid to derail the trial or secure his own acquittal, with alleged overtures directed at then Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame.

Among the allegations highlighted are:

• Intervention at Arraignment: Following his appearance in court on January 18, 2023, Jakpa is alleged to have sought Justice Kulendi’s assistance in persuading the Attorney-General to facilitate his release despite not meeting bail conditions. Justice Kulendi reportedly visited the Attorney-General’s office to intervene.


• Sharing of Contact Information: Justice Kulendi is said to have provided Jakpa with the Attorney-General’s phone number, leading Jakpa to send repeated WhatsApp messages requesting meetings. Court records show 68 messages from Jakpa, with only two responses from the Attorney-General, as confirmed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Yvonne Atakora-Obuobisa, under cross-examination on June 18, 2024.


• Private Meetings: The petition alleges that after the Attorney-General declined contact, Justice Kulendi hosted Jakpa at his residence on at least four occasions to explore ways of halting the prosecution, particularly during the no-case submission stage.

Mr. Ofori-Atta further disclosed that he intends to petition the President of the Republic for the removal of Justice Kulendi on grounds of misconduct and misbehavior, in line with constitutional provisions.