Election Petition: Bawumia faces Tsatsu

Tsatsu Tsikata, lead counsel for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), will take his turn to cross-examine Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who has been in the witness box for almost 10 days running in the landmark election petition hearing at the Supreme Court.

Tsatsu would take over after counsel for the Electoral Commission (EC) James Quarshie-Idun winds up with his cross-examination of the witness.

However, there have been subtle calls for the EC to change its counsel because of what EC insiders describe as Quarshie-Idun’s lack of fire power to consume Dr Bawumia so far.

The EC insiders claim that Mr Quarshie-Idun has not been impressive in the handling of his brief, saying the earlier he is changed the better.

However, legal analysts are of the opinion that the EC’s lawyer is a perfect professional who knows how to handle his brief and that if he is not doing well it is not because he is not capable, but the case is a bad one.

“A bad case is bad case,” a lawyer said.

Mr Quarshie-Idun is expected to continue his cross-examination of Dr Bawumia who has so far proved to be hard nut to crack, before handling over the baton to Mr Tsikata.

Tsatsu Demystified

But even before Tsatsu takes his turn, there are those who believe that he might be a disaster for the NDC.

“There is every reason to say that the mystery surrounding the so called legal luminary has shattered beyond recovery. His performance in court so far could be described as ordinary.

“He has not demonstrated any extraordinary legal prowess that supports the unsustainable impression created by the NDC that he is a good lawyer. He is likely to hurt the NDC’s case in the long run,” according to a statement issued by Divine Nkrumah, Progressive People’s party (PPP) National Youth Coordinator.

Mr Nkrumah said so far, Tsatsu’s objections are always on the heels of those raised by other counsels in the petition only for it to be overruled by the judges.

“He has been incoherent and wandering when he is given an opportunity to simply explain his grounds of supporting objections raised by other lawyers paying attention,” he stated.

The NDC, the PPP man said, should spare “us this cacophony about Tsatsu Tsikata because he has not been impressive. What the NDC needs now is energetic brilliant lawyers and not the rusty-feeble ones who continue to wallow in their in appreciative past glories”.