National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi has chided lawyer Frank Davies of the New Patriotic Party for what he described as disrespectful comments against counsels for John Dramani Mahama in the 2020 election petition hearing.

Frank Davies had criticized the NDC lawyers for attempting to drag the process with ‘English and boring literature. He further described their actions as rehearsed theatricals.

Speaking to Okay FM, Sammy Gyamfi urged Frank Davies to give reverence to Tsatsu and Tony Lithur who are light years ahead of him in the law field.

“Frank Davies did not speak well. Lawyers have been trained to respect their colleagues especially when the lawyers in question are your seniors. If we are dealing with the interpretation of the law, Frank Davies is a junior to Tsatsu Tsikata.

Tsikata is not his size so if speaks and you have issue with it, you have to address the issues with respect and decorum. You don’t cast aspersions and insinuations and say things unbefitting of a lawyer. It’s a disgrace to the law profession for lawyer to say such things about a senior colleague”, he said.

GhanaFeed.com

On Tuesday 26 January, that is Day 28 counting from when former President John Mahama filed his election petition at the Supreme Court, which also marked Day 3 of the hearing, the seven-member panel openly chided the petitioner for failing to comply with the court’s earlier orders asking him to file his witness statements.

When the court sat at exactly 9.30 am, Tsatsu Tsikata, the Lead Counsel for the petitioner was not present as expected.

Tony Lithur, who is his assistant stood up to introduce himself, followed by Justin Amenuvor with Somuah Asamoah for the First Respondent; and Akoto Ampaw with Frank Davies, Kwaku Asirifi and Yaw Oppong for 2nd Respondent.

Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the NDC National Chairman represented the Petitioner; Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) represented her institution named as the 1st Respondent, whilst Peter Mac Manu, the 2020 NPP Campaign Manager represented Nana Akufo-Addo, the second Respondent.

Before the hearing could start, however, Tony Lithur, who had defended Mahama in the 2012-2013 election petition and was thus equally able and capable, pleaded with the court for a halt to the day’s proceedings until the arrival of Tsatsu Tsikata.

The justices did not take kindly to that, stating that the official time for the hearing was 9.30 am.

The justices further indicated that Lithur’s law firm, Lithur Brew & Company, had been filing all the processes at the court with his signature on the filed documents, hence he was competent to deal with the matter at hand.

The justices, thus denying him that request, then proceeded to bombard Lithur with a series of questions bordering on why their team failed to obey the court’s orders.

Below is the interaction between the Justices and Mr Lithur:

Bench: Your understanding of the stay of proceedings is that you don’t file processes ordered by the court?

Tony Lithur: Our application is intended to stay or hold proceedings.

Bench: You say stay means not to file processes but even yesterday, you filed processes so you choose and pick what to file. Let me understand you, by filing a stay are you saying you need not file the witness statements and the written submission?

Bench: You filed the petition, you came to this court and submitted your cause of action and reliefs. You said you had five witnesses and we ordered all counsel[s] to file their witness statements, why have you not filed?

Tony Lithur in all these sought to impress on the court that the determination of their review related to the issues and the witness statements, hence their decision not to file but rather file the stay. Bench: Are you saying that in case the review is refused, you would not file witness statements?

Tony Lithur: We will file without the issues in the application.

Bench: Then why not comply and when it is granted, you file a supplementary. Why are you not obeying the orders of the court but you want the court to hear you?

The justices then went on recess to attend to the application for stay of proceedings.

When the court resumed around 10: 23 am, the President of the Court, Kwasi Anin Yeboah ruled thus:

The business of conducting this petition will be done in an orderly and expeditious manner and as procedurally directed by C.I. 99. It is clear that whatever issue that may arise from the interrogatories filed by the petitioner can be incorporated in the due conduct of the trial.

“We do not appreciate the fact that the current processes filed should make room for the petitioners to [ignore] the prior orders of the court to the extent that the earlier order has not been complied with.

“The petitioner is referred to the following rules of the court: Rule 69 C4b of the Supreme Court rule as amended by C.I. 99 which reads that the court may dismiss the petition when the petitioner fails to file the processes directed within the specified time.

The court will determine the petition when the respondents fail to file their answers or the processes regarding their answer within the specified time,” the Chief Justice said.

The petitioner was thus cautioned and asked to submit his witness statement by close of business on Wednesday.

The court adjourned sitting to Thursday, January 28. Tsatsu Tsikata, who was then present [during this ruling], expressed his profound gratitude to the court.

Source: Ghanaweb

NDC- Bolgatanga East MP, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine has noted that Parliament will not be approving any appointee of President Akufo-Addo who has been famed for slapping and shooting people.

According to the former Deputy Attorney General, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has so many brilliant men and women who can be equally nominated to some of the positions.

“It mustn’t be the case that anybody the president brings even if the person is a thief or a hooligan or somebody who goes about slapping people and shooting people all over the place, the person should be vetted and approved to become a minister,” Dr Dominic Ayine said, “That shouldn’t happen,” he told Paul Adom-Otchere on Good Evening Ghana, Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

“On this Appointments Committee thing, why can’t we sit together and look at the president’s nominees when they come, and see if there is a nominee who is coming with a lot of baggage; the NPP should be the first [….] to tell the president that ‘look this baggage is just too much for us to bring to parliament, the person will be rejected.”

Source: GhanaFeed.com