Businessman Richard Jakpa has submitted a petition to Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo, urging her to remove Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe from presiding over the faulty ambulance trial.Minority leader, Dr Ato Forson, Mr Richard Jakpa and former Chief Director at the Ministry of Health, Seth Anemana are standing trial for their alleged roles in the purchase of ambulances which the state contends resulted in a more than €2m loss.

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Justice Botwe, who is a Court of Appeal judge, is assigned to handle the proceedings as an additional High Court Judge.The specific concerns raised by Mr. Jakpa in his petition remain unclear, apart from alleging bias on the part of Justice Botwe.It should be noted that a clash between Mr. Jakpa and the judge took place on June 20, 2023.During that incident, Justice Botwe characterized Mr.

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Jakpa's behavior as disrespectful and made it clear that she would not tolerate any such disrespect.The judge has, therefore, put the trial on hold to await the decision of the Chief Justice on the petition.Joynews is learning the Minority leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has also filed a motion at the court asking that the judge recuses herself.

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Sources say this is related to a warning the judge had issued during the trial about closing the case of the accused persons or causing the arrest of their witnesses who fail to show up.The judge on June 22 issued a summons for various witnesses identified by the minority leader.

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