Lawyer Addison proves double registration in court

Philip Addison, petitioner’s counsel on Thursday proved their claim of double registration as he cross-examined Dr. Afari-Gyan on Day 29 of the hearing of the Presidential election petition.

The Electoral Commission had submitted a list of the 705 voters as names of Ghanaians registered in various diplomatic missions abroad, to vote in the December 2012 polls.

But according to the affidavit filed by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the second petitioner, the list of 705 names from various diplomatic missions abroad furnished by the EC contained 51 instances of repeated names.

The petitioners claim the list contained “forged, fake and multiple names and identities".

The essence of the introduction of the biometric registration and verification machines were supposed to prevent instances of double registration and multiple voting during the December 2012 general elections.

But in court Thursday, Addison proceeded to prove instances of double registration by taking the witness, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan through a document titled ‘list of duplicate registration’ of Ghanaians abroad.

He produced a list two men bearing the same name; Abdul Bassit Ibrahim, but purported to be different individuals. They were aged 25, registered as living in Dubai, with the same polling station registration center, but different voter identity numbers. The Voters' ID numbers were 1843900778 and 1843 800770.

In another instance, two men having the same name Abdul Muro Bashiru were also identified. They were registered as living in Berlin, aged 48 years with the same polling station H2000203A, but with voter ID numbers 1852801842 and 1852901840.

Two women with the same name Evelyn Esi, was entered entered in the register as numbers 87 and 310 with ages 42 years each and living in New York. Their polling station number is C131904 but their voter IDs are 1844900546 and 1844 800 548

Numbers 473 and 542 on the register also had two women both aged 30, living in Geneva with same name, with polling station code C070501A but different voters IDs 1852800752 and 1851852900750.

Dr. Afari-Gyan in these instances admitted to double registration but said their checks showed 15 names. Nonetheless, he said he could admit to 51 if Addison said so.

So far, about five claims have been admitted by Dr. Afari-Gyan as double registration.