The second witness for the petitioner in the ongoing presidential election petition at the Supreme Court, Kpessah Whyte, following a rigorous cross-examination by the counsel for the 1st respondent, was subjected to a barrage of questions by members of the bench.
The witness claimed he and his co-agent for the petitioner were asked to leave the Electoral Commission's strong room before the declaration of the 2020 presidential results. He was subsequently criticised by one of the seven judges of shirking responsibility and failing to protect the interest of Mahama.
According to Kpessa Whyte however, he and Rojo Mettle Nunoo were instructed by the Electoral Commissioner, Madam Jean Mensa to go and consult the petitioner (John Dramani Mahama) about some irregularities he had complained about earlier.
He continued that the EC Chair, immediately after they left, declared the results without their consent.
Owing to his statement that they obeyed the commissioner’s instruction even though they were not mandated to, one of the seven judges sitting on the case said the NDC agents shirked their responsibility.
Mr Tsatsu Tsikata however would not let the statement slide as he rose to his feet and accused the judge of harassing his client with his opinion.
“My lords with the Greatest of respects, you can’t use your opinion to harass the witness...,” Mr Tsikata stated.
The judge in his reply to the counsel said, “please I take difference to that, I am not harassing the witness. It's not my duty to harass him.”
The witness was subsequently discharged by the bench with the case adjourned to Wednesday, February 3, 2021.
John Dramani Mahama of the NDC is asking the Supreme Court to cause a rerun of the 2020 presidential election between himself and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on the basis that the results, as declared by the EC Chairperson, did not have any of the 12 candidates poll more than 50% of the valid votes as mandated by the constitution.
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