Asutifi South Constituency election case adjourned to January 19

Sunyani (BAR), Jan. 12, GNA - Mr Justice J.K. Opoku, presiding over a Sunyani High Court on Monday adjourned the case on the declaration of the Parliamentary results of Asutifi South Constituency for a week to January 19. Giving reasons for the adjournment, Mr Justice Opoku said "there is still some paper work to be done by New Patriotic Party (NPP) before the case can be heard". He asked counsels for both parties to explain to their supporters that hearing of the case had not started and their actions could not in any way intimidate the court.

Irate supporters of National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the hearing blocked the main entrance to the court for hours to prevent vehicular movement. Caught in the melee was the vehicle conveying Captain Nkrabea Effah-Dartey (rtd), former MP for Berekum and counsel for NPP.

Clad in Party paraphernalia, the supporters were in court to hear the motion filed by NPP against the Electoral Commission and NDC in declaring the Parliamentary results of Asutifi South Constituency in the December 7 general election. They insisted that they would not move away from the court's premises until Mr Justice Opoku gave a ruling on the case.

Parliamentary results from the constituency came under serious public scrutiny when Mr Boakye Boateng, NPP Parliamentary Candidate, claimed the signatory on the declaration form did not belong to the NPP agent and also doubted the authenticity of the results recorded at the Twabidi Number One polling station. He further alleged that the ballot boxes "found their way" to Kenyasi instead of Hwidiem, which was the collation centre and expressed the fear that the boxes had been tampered with.

The NDC supporters attempted to attack supporters of the NPP with sticks and stopped their vehicles from moving out of the court premises. It took the intervention of more than 20 police personnel to stop the NDC supporters from their actions and later drove them away from the court's premises. The NDC supporters however, asked the police to escort the NPP supporters to their various destinations and threatened to waylay and attack them on their way back to Kenyasi. Alhaji Collins Dauda is the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency.