Court orders transfer of ballot boxes to Koforidua

Koforidua, Jan. 23, GNA - A High Court in Koforidua has ordered that ballot boxes used for the parliamentary elections in the 2008 General Election in the Asuogyaman constituency, be transferred from Akosombo office of the Electoral Commission (EC) to the Eastern Regional office of the EC in Koforidua.

This followed a request by counsel for the former Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman, Mr Osei Akoto Ameyaw, who lost to Mr Joses Asare Akoto, in the December elections and filed a writ at the court challenging the results of the elections.

The court presided over by Justice Owusu Kwarteng, granting the request, instructed that the Regional Police Command should give it full security detail, during and after the transferring that should be done in the presence of all parties or stakeholders in the case.

The court further upheld a preliminary objection to the competency of the EC's application to struck out the writ from the court. The writ filed by the applicant is praying the court to declare the parliamentary election null and void, order for the re-count of the ballot papers and to restrain the defendant from being declared as the duly elected parliamentarian.

Counsel for Mr Osei Ameyaw, led by Francis Polley, prayed the court that since they were contesting the results based on the roles of the electoral officer and other officials who handled the elections on December 7, at the constituency, the ballot boxes should be moved to a neutral place pending the court's ruling on the matter.

Mr Tony Lithur, the lead counsel for Mr Akoto, argued that the request by the applicant of the writ was huge because the EC was mandated by law to be the custodian of electoral materials therefore it should be kept at the Asuogyaman offices of the EC.

He further prayed the court to be mindful of the fact that the EC was an independent body and that transferring the boxes from Asuogyaman to Koforidua EC office would make no difference. No date was set for the next sitting of the case but the transfer of the boxes was scheduled for Tuesday, January 28.