National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye has called for former President John Dramani Mahama to mount the witness box in the stead of the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Mensa.
The Supreme Court, on Thursday, February 11, dismissed request by Lead Counsel for John Mahama, petitioner in the ongoing election petition, to have Jean Mensa testify before the court.
Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata had argued that it will be appropriate for the EC Chair to be in the witness box because it's her responsibility to account for her conduct but her Lead Counsel, Lawyer Justin Amenuvor raised objections.
The court ruled that it will not yield to the invitation to order Mrs. Jean Mensa and Mr. Peter Mac Manu as witnesses for the First Respondent which is the Electoral Commission and the Second Respondent, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as cited by the petitioner in the court case.
“ . . simply put, we are not convinced and will not yield to the invitation being extended to us by Counsel of the petitioner to order the respondents to enter the witness box to be cross-examined accordingly we hereby overrule the objection raised by the counsel for the petitioner against the decision of the respondents declining to adduce evidence in this petition," Chief Justice Anin Yeboah declared as the Supreme Court dismissed Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata's request.
Meanwhile, the petitioner has filed a motion to open his case which his legal team initially closed prior to the Supreme Court ruling on whether or not Jean Mensa should mount the witness stand.
Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, during Thursday's hearing, said; “We will now seek your Lordship’s permission to reopen our case in order to have a subpoena on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. My Lords, we know that we can issue a subpoena without leave but since we have closed our case on the assumption that she will be (in the witness box)….so we intend to file a formal motion.”
Responding to the petitioner's request to subpoena the EC Chair, Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye, popularly called Nana B, states emphatically that the person supposed to be in the witness box should be the petitioner.
He argued that Mr. Mahama is the one challenging the election verdict and so the proof of burden lies on him to testify before the court.
He found it intriguing that Mr. Mahama hasn't put himself up to witness for his own case.
"If there's anybody to mount the witness box, it should be His Excellency the former President John Dramani Mahama," he stressed on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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This npp foollllll is so stupidddddd that he always talk like a madddd guy
@he is from your mothers stin...king "P". Get some life
It is clear as crystal to signify directly that the petitioner has lost the case. The rest is court ettiquet which the good learned Judges are exercising so much as to say, if somebody is telling you a ridiculous story or all that may have the earmarks of being a big lie, do not for your best interest give him a suspicious look as much as to say I Know you are lying to me. So what the good Supreme court is entertaining now, is purely based on the courtesy of the court. It is really, a pitty that Mr. Tsikata , otherwise, an astute lawyer, would stake his reputation on such a case.
Where from this rabbies infected dog called Nana B