I'll be very surprised if Jean Mensah is not made to mount witness box---Lawyer

A private legal practitioner, Lawyer Ebenezer Ahiator has indicated he would be taken aback should the electoral commission chair, madam Jean Adukwei Mensah escapes cross-examination in the 2020 election petition.

According to him, it would be important for the chairperson of the electoral commission to come out and clear perhaps some misconceptions in the minds of many Ghanaians and for the interest of the public regarding her constitutional duty delivered on the Dec. 7 presidential elections. This is particularly essential because numerous figures and times of the results based on which president Akufo Addo emerged as winner have been put on the minds of many Ghanaians.

Again he reiterated that based on some deliberations in the proceedings where counsels and some members of the panel argued in the lead up to dismissal of the petitioner’s lead counsel request for interrogatories that, those questions could be served on the chairperson in cross examination, it would come as a surprise to him.

The vetran lawyer made these expressions in an interview on the Cruz’s Kokrokoo morning show annex in Akumadan with SK De broadcaster on Wednesday, 10th February 2021 The vetran lawyer with over 11 years experience in the practice made these expressions in an interview with SK De broadcaster on Cruz 96.9 Fm wednesday morning, explaining that such practice appears strange to him as that is commonly done only in the case of criminal proceedings.

He said in all cases he has ever handled, he never experienced such situation where he or his opponent sought to disallow defendants to testify in the witness box especially in the case of civil proceedings.

He, however, concluded that a ruling against Jean Mensah being cross-examined would be based on the explanation given by the Judges.

Lawyers for the first and second respondents in the ongoing election petition Justin Amenuvor and Akoto Ampaw respectfully applied to the supreme court not to allow Madam Jean Mensah and Mr. Peter Mark Manu witnesses for the first and second respondents to mount witness box for cross-examination.

After hot arguments on the matter between lead counsel for the petitioner, Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata and counsels for the respondents as well as series of questions from the bench to Tsatsu Tsikata, the court adjourned sitting to Thursday 11th February 2021 for rulling on whether the EC Chairperson would mount the witness box or not, which may also determined the next stage of the petition.

---Cruz FM Newsroom