By Grace Zigah
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service is set to invite Supreme Court Judge, Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi, and Richard Jakpa, Director of Special Operations at the National Security Secretariat, for questioning over allegations of judicial misconduct and interference in a high-profile criminal case.
This follows a formal petition lodged by Daniel Ofori-Atta, who has already appeared before the CID to provide evidence and documentation to support his claims of collusion between the judge and Jakpa—his cousin—during the infamous Ambulance Procurement Trial.
Ofori-Atta’s Petition And CID Interrogation
Ofori-Atta, accompanied by his lawyer Kwame Boateng, appeared before the CID on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, where he was questioned by a team of senior investigators including the Deputy Director-General and Director of Operations.
He submitted a detailed written statement and a bundle of documents, which he said were vital to substantiate his allegations of criminal conspiracy and interference with the judicial process.
“I was made to submit a written statement and present documents including court rulings and proceedings from June 18 and June 20, 2024, which clearly expose certain admissions by Mr. Jakpa under cross-examination,” Ofori-Atta revealed.
Among the key exhibits were WhatsApp messages exchanged between Jakpa and former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, which, according to the petitioner, show that Richard Jakpa obtained Dame’s contact through Justice Kulendi.
“The messages—68 in all—confirm that Justice Kulendi was the link between the two, facilitating contact that would otherwise have been improper,” he added.
CID Mulls Invitation Protocol For Supreme Court Judge
Reliable sources within the CID have confirmed that Justice Kulendi will indeed be questioned.
However, due to the sensitivity of his position as a sitting Supreme Court Justice, the police are considering whether to invite him formally to their headquarters or to request a written statement from him as a courtesy.
“This is delicate, but the CID is status-blind when it comes to criminal investigations. The law applies equally to all,” a senior CID official disclosed.
The source emphasized that while this development is unprecedented, the CID has a duty to pursue the matter with fairness and professionalism, given the seriousness of the allegations.
Background: The Ambulance Procurement Trial
The controversy traces back to the Ambulance Procurement Trial, one of Ghana’s most politically charged corruption cases, in which former Deputy Finance Minister and current Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, and businessman Richard Jakpa, were accused of causing financial loss to the state through the importation of faulty ambulances.
During cross-examination in June 2024, Jakpa made explosive claims that he had been in direct contact with then Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, alleging private discussions about the trial’s outcome.
These revelations, accompanied by tendered WhatsApp messages, ignited a national debate over possible judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. It was within this context that D.M. Ofori-Atta filed his petition—urging the CID to investigate what he described as “a coordinated scheme to obstruct justice.”
Alleged Collusion Between Kulendi And Jakpa
In his petition, Ofori-Atta detailed how, after Jakpa’s arraignment in January 2022, he allegedly sought the intervention of his cousin, Justice Kulendi, to help secure his release despite not meeting bail conditions.
The petition claims that Justice Kulendi personally visited then Attorney-General Godfred Dame to plead on Jakpa’s behalf and later facilitated direct communication between them.
Under cross-examination, Jakpa reportedly admitted obtaining Dame’s number from Justice Kulendi, after which he sent multiple messages seeking meetings and favors—messages that were tendered in open court on June 18, 2024.
Furthermore, Ofori-Atta alleges that Justice Kulendi hosted at least four private meetings at his residence, involving Dame and sometimes Jakpa, in an attempt to influence the outcome of the trial.
He contends that such actions amount to serious breaches of judicial ethics and the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
If confirmed, this case would mark the first time in Ghana’s Fourth Republic that a sitting Supreme Court Justice becomes the subject of a criminal investigation by the CID.
Legal experts and civil society groups have described the development as a watershed moment in the country’s fight for judicial transparency and accountability.
Meanwhile, Justice Kulendi has yet to publicly respond to the allegations, and efforts to reach his office for comment have so far proven unsuccessful.
