Election Petition: 'I've temperament for fairness, truth' – Rojo

The lead counsel for the Electoral Commission in the ongoing election petition, Mr Justin Amenuvor, has described the temperament of the third witness of former President John, Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, as “ungovernable character”.

While cross-examining Mr Mettle-Nunoo (Rojo) on Monday, 8 February 2021 at the Supreme Court, Mr Amenuvor attacked the character of Mr Mahama’s third witness by making reference to his past conduct within the Strong Room of the Electoral Commission (EC) during the 2008 general elections, where Mr Mettle-Nunoo threatened to “go at” Mr Kwabena Agyapng “one-on-one” for, allegedly, attempting to, according to him, “change the results” at the time.

Asked if he recalled that event and if it, indeed, happened, Mr Mettle-Nunoo responded: “That is correct and I told him that in the face because he was trying to change the results.”

Mr Amenuvor then said: “I am putting it to you that, that character of yours is what you have just displayed for the court”, after the petitioner’s witness had insisted he was telling the truth to the court and that it was rather the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Mensa, who had not been truthful to the nation, as far as her declaration of the 2020 presidential results is concerned.

In a riposte, Mr Mettle-Nunoo said: “I have a temperament for fairness, I have a temperament for telling the truth, I have a temperament that makes me want to fight to defend the integrity of my name.”

Mr Amenuvor had riled up the witness when he put it to him that his statement and testimony to the court were a “bad explanation for the bad job you did” on behalf of the petitioner at Strong Room of the EC.

“You are being judgmental”, Mr Mettle-Nunoo fired back, asserting: “I was performing a function that was supposed to protect the interest of my presidential candidate and I did it based on my knowledge, past experience and a certain sense of high maturity in the strong room”.

He said: “If I had misconducted myself, this country would be [at] war by now. You need to appreciate that. It is my very mature handling of the situation. And don’t forget, the EC Chair said that she was going to declare the results in 24 hours and there were so many anomalies”.

“It is your client that you are representing, that is being untruthful. She is supposed to declare credible election results and she declares multiple results. It is your client that is being untruthful to the people of Ghana”

Mr Amenuvor then ends his cross-examination, saying: “You have a temperament known as ungovernable character”.