Former President John Mahama has claimed that there is no question the election petition he submitted at the Supreme Court was shot down since, the evidence of his first witness, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, was taken out of context.
He has asserted that the focus by the judges on the answers given by Mr. Nketiah to the questions asked by him during cross-examination is a deliberate effort to undermine the merits of the election petition.
“The ruling I heard today actually makes our witness, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah appear as the star witness for the first and second respondents. Many of his answers in testimony during cross-examination were taken out of context to create the basis for the dismissal of our election petition.”Mr. Mahama said In his public address to the public after the court verdict on Thursday, 4 March 2021.
The NDC leader said that he followed on from start to finish the proceedings of this petition and was “alarmed at the mutilation of his [Mr Nketiah’s] evidence at the ruling of the Supreme Court.”
He did say, though, that the party’s legal team would provide detailed statements on the ruling when the time comes.
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Aseidu Nketia as star witness
Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, when reading the full judgment on behalf of the seven-member Supreme Court bench on Thursday 4 March 2021, disclosed that the the testimony of two of the petitioner’s witnesses were entirely unrelated to the factual issues that were in court.
Dr Michael Kpessa-Whye and Rojo Mettle-Nunoo served as the petitioner’s second and third witnesses respectively represented John Mahama in the Electoral Commission’s national collation centre.
“The least said about the testimonies of Dr. Kpessa-Whyte and Mettle-Nunoo related to the issue at stake, the better. The testimonies were fanciful tales.”
The judges, however, said Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, the first witness for the appellant, was the “star witness” for the defense, as he helped the defense during his cross-examination.
Judges blame Kpesa Whyte and Mettle Nunoo for the loss
Justice Anin-Yeboah stated in this ruling that Dr. Kpessa Whyte’s and Mettle-testimonies Nunoo’s were “not relevant for these issues and hence we deem them unworthy to be taken into account.”
It was recalled that the duo who were members of the complainant of the Electoral Commission’s national collation centre (strongroom) were deceived to go and see Mr. Mahama regarding questions that they had presented to the Electoral Commission’s national collation centre (strongroom). However, this is in direct contrast to their own statement that they have signed certain papers to certify the findings that they disputed.
However, the Chief Justice ruled that the decision to abandon the strong room was their own personal error.
“Notwithstanding all these allegations of misunderstandings with the chair of the 1st respondent in the strongroom and the fact that they were absent during the declaration, they did not give any indication as to how these happenings in their absence affected the final results announced by the 1st Respondent”, Justice Anin-Yeboah said.
“Having signed or validated these documents, the witnesses, especially PW 3, [Mettle-Nunoo] cannot turn around to speak about inconsistencies in the forms,” he said.
Justice Anin-Yeboah said that their testimony wouldn’t carry much weight since the object of the petition was to alter the collation results or summary sheets.
Source: ALTFMNEWSROOM
