Mr. Akoto Ampaw, the lead lawyer for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, 2nd respondent in the election petition case, has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the review application filed by the petitioner, John Dramani Mahama.
According to him, the application is an abuse of the court processes and must not be countenanced.
Mr. Akoto-Ampaw insisted that the petitioner is intentionally delaying the hearing and the determination of the petition.
The apex court had ruled that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, could not be compelled to testify and be cross-examined as a witness in the election petition hearing.
The court subsequently dismissed Mr. Mahama’s application to re-open his case to enable him subpoena Jean Mensa to testify as a hostile witness.
Displeased about the ruling, Mr. Mahama, through his lawyers, filed for a review of the court’s ruling.
According to him, the ruling was a miscarriage of justice to his client.
This Mr. Akoto-Ampaw in opposing the application urged the apex court to award cost against Mr. Mahama.
He further added that the review application does not meet conditions of Article 133 and rule 54 of the processes of the Court.
“My lords, I believe, and we submit that this application is completely unmeritorious and does not satisfy the very strict conditions for review laid out in Article 133 and rule 54 of this court.”
“We accordingly pray that this application be dismissed as an abuse of court processes and even though we are all aware that in constitutional matters like this, no cost is awarded, but I think this is a proper occasion for a cost to be awarded,” he insisted.
