A third witness for former President, John Dramani Mahama has stated that he was misled by officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) to sing the collated results from the Ashanti Region.
The witness, Joseph (Rojo) Mettle-Nunoo who was one of the two agents of Mr. Mahama at the EC’s national collation centre otherwise known as ‘strongroom’ that the EC officials had told him that once his colleague regional representative had signed the collation form, the only reprieve left for him was to go to court to challenge it.
“I must admit I was misled by this position of the EC officials into signing the regional collation sheet for the Ashanti Region simply because there was a signature of the agent of the petitioner (Mr. Mahama) at the regional collation centre on that sheet”.
Mr. Mettle-Nunoo also indicates in his witness statement that he and his colleague had been “sent to convey a message to the petitioner” after he had spoken to the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa about the challenges with some of the summary sheets from the region.
“My colleague and I only left the premises of the Electoral Commission at the instance of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission to go and meet with the petitioner.”
He states that he and his colleague, Michael Kpessa-Whyte were shocked when they reached Mr. Mahama’s residence and realized the EC Chairperson was in the process of declaring the results of the 2020 Presidential election.
“Petitioner naturally asked how this was possible when the same person had sent us with a message for him”, he notes in the witness statement.
He added that he later attempted to reach the Chairperson of the EC but all her phones were turned off.
Lawyers for the respondents would cross-examine the witness on Friday, February 5.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak