Delay in Techiman South election petition: Court slaps petitioner with GH¢4,000 cost
The Wenchi High Court which is hearing the disputed results of the Techiman South Parliamentary election last Tuesday slapped a cost of GH¢4,000.00 on the petitioner, Mr Christopher Beyere Baasongti, for delaying adjudication of the matter.
The court initially imposed GH¢7,000 on Mr Baasongti, who was the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for the Techiman South Constituency during the 2020 general election, but had to reduce the fine to GH¢4,000 after pleadings for clemency.
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Lawyers for the petitioner had filed motions seeking amendments to some portions of the petition but while the court granted some of them, it dismissed others on the grounds that it had already ruled on those issues.
There are other motions filed by the petitioner which the court is expected to rule on during its next sitting on June 30, 2021.
In those motions, the petitioner is seeking the approval of the court for the appointment of a handwriting expert for the recording of proceedings of the court and an expert for the collation of the pink sheets.
Mr Baasongti filed the petition against the results of the Techiman South Parliamentary election which was won by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Mr Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah.
He is seeking that the court annuls the declaration of Mr Korsah as the winner of the poll, among other reliefs.
Reaction
Speaking to journalists after the court’s sitting on Tuesday, the 2020 Election Campaign Manager of the NPP, Mr Peter Mac-Manu, said it was unfortunate that the petitioner in this matter had resorted to delay tactics.
He also accused the petitioner of going through the back door, seeking to bring new witnesses without the knowledge of the legal teams of the respondents.
"We are convinced that Mr Korsah won the Techiman South Parliamentary election. We are standing firm in this matter and will comply with the directives of the court," he stated.
Mr Mac-Manu wondered why the NDC candidate would seek to amend what he thought was the right figures that he earlier presented to the court.