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General news for Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Source: GNA
2021-02-16
Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, MP, Bolgatanga East
Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, spokesman for the petitioner in the trial of the Petition for the 2020 presidential elections, was requesting to reopen his case in order to summon the president of the Electoral Commission (EC) to testify.
Dr. Ayine, in a post-trial interview, said: “We are looking for Ms. Jean Mensa, President of the EC to testify at the trial in her capacity as Return Officer for the 2020 General Elections so as not to compel one of the parties to declare “.
The Supreme Court, after hearing the arguments of the petitioner and the defendants, set Tuesday February 16, 2021 to rule on the motion presented by the petitioner requesting authorization from the court to reopen his case.
The petitioner presented the motion to reopen his case in order to issue a summons to the president of the EC.
Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, principal counsel for the petitioner, moving the motion said: “We are not asking permission to present new evidence, as was done in an appeal situation.
He said the nature of the request to reopen the case was based on certain representation.
Dr. Ayine said that there was nowhere in CI 99 that stipulated that a party could not request a subpoena to bring a witness to testify, adding that CI 99 did not foresee compelling a witness to testify.
He claimed that, as a team, they had presented a case and wanted the Court to see the truth at trial.
Mr. Justin Amenuvor, the lead attorney for the EC, said they opposed the request to reopen his case.
He said the current request was not justified by the rule of law and procedure, adding that the process presented was an abuse of the court process. On the alleged promise of the petitioner’s lawyer that the president of the EC had promised them a cross-examination, the lawyer said: “It is our assertion that no representation has been made to the petitioner and that it was unfair to blame the president of the first defendant.”
Former President Mahama had filed a petition with the Supreme Court requesting the annulment of the presidential election results and the replay of the elections between him and Nana Akufo-Addo, who is the second respondent in the petition.
The Petition also seeks a court order ordering the first defendant, the Electoral Commission, to proceed to hold a second election between the petitioner and the second defendant as candidates, as required by Articles 63 (4) and (5) of the Constitution. 1992.
