Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah
The Supreme Court has ordered lawyers in the ongoing Election 2020 Petition trial to file their written addresses by February 17.
This was after the Court had adjourned the matter to February 18, 2021, for the lawyers to make legal submissions before it.
The Court on Thursday unanimously overruled an objection by lawyer for the Petitioner, former President John Dramani Mahama, inviting the Court to compel the respondents, the Electoral Commission (EC) and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to call their witnesses to testify.
The Court said it deemed the respective cases of the EC and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo closed and threw away the request for their cross examination.
The two respondents had earlier opted not to call their witnesses to be cross-examined.
Lead Counsel for the Petitioner, Tsatsu Tsikata,had indicated to the seven-member panel that the Petitioner would re-open his case and file for a subpoena of the EC Boss, Mrs. Jean Mensa.
Also, Mr Tsikata said he would also file for a review of the decision of the Court declining the invitation to compel the EC Boss to mount the witness box to be cross–examined.
On February 8, this year, the Petitioner, Mr Mahama, closed his case after calling three witnesses namely; Johnson Asiedu Nketia, NDC General Secretary, Dr Michael Kpessa-Whtye and Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, both members of the Party.
The EC Boss and President Nana Addo also closed their case, saying in view of the evidence adduced through the Petitioner’s witnesses they would no longer call any witnesses.
The Petitioner is in court challenging the validity of the EC’s declaration of the winner of Election 2020 polls.
The Petitioner also accused the EC of vote padding but the Commission had since denied the allegation.
GNA