Opinion

Petition Hearing: Supreme Court has not given me reason to be optimistic – Ayine

Former Deputy Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine
Apexnewsgh

Spokesperson for the lawyers of the petitioner in the ongoing election petition hearing Dr Dominic Ayine has said that he is not optimistic the petitioner will get a favorable ruling from the bench as to whether or not they can reopen their case.

When asked by TV3’s Thomas Adotei Pappoe at a media engagement after court proceedings on Monday February 15, the former Deputy Attorney General said “If what has gone on before is anything to go by I am not very optimistic . I am disappointed that the court may not give me a reason to be very optimistic.

“However, when it comes to whether or not we have led a sufficient evidence, the fact is that we led evidence to show there were infractions and you witnessed the fact that we led evidence showing that there had been vote padding and they themselves admitted that there had been vote padding.”

During proceedings on Monday, Lead Counsel for the petitioner Tsatsu Tsikata told the Supreme Court that there is sufficient basis to grant the request to subpoena the chairperson of the 1st Respondent, Jean Adukwei Mensa to testify in the case.

Mr Tsikata had argued in court on Monday February 15 that, the affidavit of the 1st Respondent indicated that she was going to testify, a proposition that resulted in the earlier decision of the petitioner to close his case for that to happen.

“We had the expectation that the chairperson of the 1st Respondent will testify” hence the closure of the case.

“The Chairperson of the 1st Respondent has in affidavit made clear that the petitioner will in no way be prejudiced because the questions that the petitioner sought to have in interrogatories those will be subject matter in cross examination,” Mr Tsikata told the court.

He added “There is a sufficient basis from the circumstances that arose on 9th of February when we close our case and when there was expectation that the choir of the 1st respondent will actually come and testify.”

Counsel for the 1st Respondent, Mr Justin Amenuvor  for his part told the Supreme Court on Monday February 15, that the petitioner’s application to reopen his case is an abuse of the court processes.

Mr Amenuvor told the court that an extensive research he conducted so far on reopen of cases, points that since the common-law emerged in Ghana as far back as 1876 no such attempt has ever been made.

This is “an abuse of the court processes,” he said.

3news

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Ngamegbulam C. S

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