Gbevlo-Lartey questions disclosure of Jakpa’s confidential military report

Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, a former National Security Coordinator, has questioned how a confidential report prepared by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) on Richard Jakpa ended up in the hands of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame.

This report was produced in court last week during the ambulance purchase case to attest to Jakpa’s character.

The Minister produced the military document in court, revealing that Jakpa, the third accused person, failed his promotional exams.

The document detailed that Jakpa lagged in his military career, unable to progress from Lieutenant to Captain and Major; therefore, he was dismissed.

However, Gbevlo-Lartey, an ex-senior military officer, suggested the document was not a dismissal letter as some claimed, but merely a “recommendation from Army HQ to GHQ (COS) with confidential security classification.”

He emphasized that “not even the officer affected was to see this document.”

With a picture of the one-page document on his Facebook wall on Friday, June 28, Gbevlo-Lartey stated in parts that “GHQ (COS) owes the Ghana Armed Forces an explanation on how the document became public.”

Gbevlo-Lartey, who retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, had served as the Commander of the 64th Battalion of Infantry, a Commando Unit that provided VV-VIP protection for ex-President Jerry John Rawlings and some key appointees.

“The document was a recommendation from Army HQ to GHQ (COS) with confidential security classification. Not even the officer affected was to see this document. GHQ (COS) owes the Ghana Armed Forces an explanation on how the document became public,” wrote Lt Col. Gbevlo-Lartey, a widely respected Infantry Officer.

Currently, Gbevlo-Lartey is a private legal practitioner.

He had served as the African Union Chairperson’s Special Representative in Charge of Counter Terrorism based in Algiers, Algeria, following his replacement by Yaw Donkor of the erstwhile Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) by President John Dramani Mahama.

He is also the executive chairman of the Human Security Research Centre of the University of Ghana, his alma mater, where he lectures.

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

Jakpa has been accused of causing the state a financial loss of €2.37 million 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 GAF in 2007.

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

Jakpa’s lawyers, led by Thaddius Sory, objected to tendering the letter and raised an issue of relevance. However, 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 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 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.”

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

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

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”.