General News of Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Source: XYZ

Election Petition: Atuguba warns Addison

President of the nine panel bench hearing the election petition Justice William Atuguba has cautioned counsel for the petitioners Philip Addison that the bench has been very tolerant and would not adhere to any form of dictatorship.

Justice Atuguba sounded out the caution to Philip Addison after he was persistent in his bid to tender in some documents which the bench had rejected following objections from the counsel for the respondents.

Mr. Addison wanted to tender in a document that had some re-categorisation of exhibits regarding polling stations that were found in other categories in some pink sheets during Mr. Tsikata’s cross-examination which the witness admitted that it happened due to mislabeling.

Justice Atuguba in his banter with Mr. Addison stated that “we have been very tolerant…and we would not be dictated to by the bar”.

Mr. Addison has, however, ended his re-examination of the star witness in the election petition, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in the ongoing election petition at the Supreme Court after he struggled to solicit answers from Dr. Bawumia due to intense objections from counsel for the first and third respondents.

The three petitioners, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, 2012 Presidential candidate of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and NPP Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey are contesting the results of the December 2012 polls which they claim were fraught with irregularities, violations and malpractices of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and NPP chairman.