Politics of Saturday, 30 November 2013

Source: peacefmonline.com

NDC MP accuses CJ of bias

Member of Parliament (MP) for La Dadekotopon, Nii Amasah Namoale, has accused the Chief Justice (CJ), Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, of selectivity and double standards over the handling of petitions brought to her attention.

The NDC MP says he cannot fathom why the CJ disregarded a similar petition filed by a Public Interest Lawyer, Sam PeeYalley, calling on the judiciary to probe comments by a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a Parliamentarian, Atta Akyea, yet is investigating allegations brought to her attention by the NPP that the judgement of 2012 Presidential Election Petition was compromised.

“…she claims to have set up a committee but did not see the need to investigate the one she was petitioned on. She did not institute a committee to look into Sam Pee Yalley’s petition but has done so in Victoria Hammah’s case whose utterances were based on hearsays”.

“…What did Victoria Hammah say in the tape that you played?” Mr Namoale rhetorically asked AdakabreFrimpong-Manso.

The former Deputy Minister hinted on NEAT FM that, he would write a letter to the Chief Justice to remind her of Sam PeeYalley’s petition.

Mr Yalley, who is the former Acting CEO of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), filed a petition on the 28th of August 2011, against Lawyer Attah Akyea for making scandalous and treasonable allegations. But the petition has not been acted on till date.

Mr Yalley, who attached a tape recorded conversation purported to be Mr Akyea’s voice as evidence, described the conduct of the MP as treasonable attempts calculated to subvert provisions of the 1992 Constitution.

The petitioner pointed out that MrAkyea in the said recorded conversations indicated that the CJ, after convening a court on New Year’s Day, coached him about how to go about the case, a situation MrYalley described as the MP using his family relations with Mrs. Wood whose sister he married to subvert the constitution for private and political gain.

The recorded conversation, according to Mr Yalley, revealed the CJ’s intention to withdraw Justice Asante, who was appointed to hear the case earlier, following his association with Mr AtoAhwoi, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and owner of CASHPRO, a company, the judge was said to have worked with in the past.

That, he said, prompted Mrs. Wood who allegedly relayed a message that he raised the issue of bias against the judge.

Mr. Yalley contends that the aforementioned issues apart from amounting to attempts to infringe on the fundamental human rights of some Ghanaians were equally treasonable.

Even though an acknowledgement has not been given MrYalley has indicated his resolve to re-send his petition since he believes the Chief Justice has an interest in cases of that nature.

Ms Hammah was heard on a secretly recorded tape, divulging the exploits of Nana Oye Lithur in securing the Supreme Court verdict in the NDC’s favour, in the momentous election petition trial.

The Chief Justice has set up a committee to investigate allegations made by former Deputy Communications Minster, Victoria Hammah, that the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, was used to influence the election petition verdict.