Evidence giving ends in election petition: court adjourned to July 31
At long last the battle of evidence giving has ended at the hearing of the 2012 election petition which has been pending at the Supreme Court for the past seven months.
Advertisement
The court has consequently asked all the parties to prepare and file their written addresses by July 30, 2013. This was after the cross-examination of the chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan by the petitioners.
Sitting has been adjourned to July 31, 2013 for further directions to be given by the court.
Hearing of the evidence in the petition which has been pending since December 2012 commenced on April 16, 2013.
“At long last the battle of evidence has ended... So now we are directing both sides to file your addresses simultaneously not later than 30 July”, Justice William Atuguba, president of the nine-member panel announced on Wednesday before the court adjourned.
He said the court will sit on July 31, 2013 when the address filing have closed and give further directions to proceed from there.
But before discharging, Dr Afari-Gyan from the witness box, Justice Atuguba sarcastically said, “I hope you are seeing that go to court, go to court is not such an easy thing to say”.
This was received with laughter in the courtroom.
Dr Afari Gyan on December 9, 2012 had asked the petitioners to go to court if they had any grievances with regards to the results of the elections which he was about to declare.
The Election Petition was filed by Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as well as the NPP chairman Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey.
They are praying the court to annul votes from some 11,000 polling stations which they claim were tainted with irregularities that favoured President John Mahama who was declared winner by the Election Petition.
Lead counsel for the petitioners, Mr Philip Addison thanked the court for indulging them for the past seven months.
Counsel for President John Mahama, Mr Tony Lithur, that of the Electoral Commission, Mr James Quashie-Idun, counsel for the National Democratic Congress, and Mr Tsatsu Tsikata shared similar sentiments.
Mr Lithur for instance said, “we are planning that when all this is over we will all get drunk.”
Justice William Atuguba also expressed appreciation for the cooperation from counsel and the witnesses.
Story: Enoch Darfah Frimpong / Graphic.com.gh / Ghana
Writer's email: [email protected]