Justice Dotse must also deny his NPP membership- Chris Ackumey

A member of the National Democratic Congress legal team says the denial by Justice Jones Dotse that he has never been a chairman of the NPP in Volta Region is not enough.

Chris Ackumey says merely denying his alleged chairmanship role and not stating whether or not he had been a member of the NPP is baffling.

You can be a card member of the NPP and not be its chairman, he posited on Joy FM and MultiTV’s news analysis programme Newsfile on Saturday.

He was reacting to an open court denial by one of the nine justices sitting on the Presidential Election Petition with specific reference to a joinder application by the NDC.

Justice James Dotse had been accused by some members of the NDC legal team of being a chairman of the NPP in the Volta Region and had threatened that if NPP went ahead with its plans to have Justice William Atuguba recused from the panel, they will also have Justice Dotse recused.

At the Supreme Court on Wednesday to hear the arguments on the joinder application, Justice Dotse told the court he had never being a chairman of the NPP in Volta Region and dared his accusers to bring evidence.

He vowed to recuse himself from the case if such evidence is brought before the court.

But speaking on Newsfile, Chris Ackumey said Justice Dotse should have gone further to declare whether or not he has been a member of the NPP.

To say that he has never been a chairman of the NPP is not enough, he averred, adding, people in the Volta Region, who know him will be the true judges.

He was quick to point out however, that he as a person has no problem if Justice Dotse is a member of the NPP, in as far as his professional judgement and competence is not clouded by his affiliation.