‘It will honor her God if she testifies’ – Tsikata implores Jean Mensa
Counsel for the petitioner John Dramani Mahama in the ongoing election petition hearing has urged the EC Chairperson to testify in the interest of truth.
The NDC Flagbearer’s counsel, Tsatsu Tsikata, in his bid to convince the EC Chairperson to have a change of heart beseeched the religious spot of Jean Mensa.
Mr Tsikata said Jean Mensa being a religious person should testify for the God of truth to prevail in the case as the public awaits her decision.
“It is important if she will come and testify as to the truth of what happened. I believe this will give glory to the God she serves because that God is a God of truth and it will honour that God if she comes forward to testify to the truth.
“In the affidavit we have made it quite clear that this truth is crucial and we want to stand on that,” Mr Tsikata said on Monday.
But the Supreme Court was of the view that the faith of the EC Chairperson should not be a ground for the petitioner’s team to stand on.
Monday’s motion is for the seven-member panel to decide whether or not the petitioner should be allowed to reopen its case after it had closed their case.
Making a case for the reopening of their case, Mr Tsikata said the petitioner closed his case because the EC Chairperson, in her affidavit, had assured the court that she will make herself available for cross examination.
That assurance, he pointed out led to the dismissal of the petitioner’s interrogatories application, which sought to ask the EC Chairperson 12 key questions it claimed were critical to the case.
“We had the expectation that the chairperson of the first respondent (Jean Mensa) will testify hence the closure of the case.
“The Chairperson of the first respondent has in affidavit made clear that the petitioner will in no way be prejudiced because the questions that the petitioner sought to have in interrogatories those will be subject matter in cross examination,” Mr Tsikata explained.
He further said the two respondents (Electoral Commission and Nana Akufo-Addo) should rather be eager to mount the witness box to clear its names in the ongoing petition.
The Electoral Commission on the other hand has asked the apex court to dismiss the fresh application to reopen the case.
According to the team, the application is not warranted by any rule of law or procedure.
The EC Chairperson explained that at no point had she informed the petitioner nor his lawyers of her desire to testify in the case.
Should the apex court grant the request, the petitioner’s team will file a subpoena that requires the EC Chairperson to testify in the ongoing election petition.