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Supreme Court grants NDC, Mahama's request for better particulars of NPP's claims

By Myjoyonline.com l Malik Abass Daabu
NDC Supreme Court grants NDC, Mahama's request for better particulars of NPP's claims
FEB 5, 2013 LISTEN

Ghana's Supreme Court has by a unanimous decision granted the request of respondents to an election petition for better particulars of the petitioners' claims.

The court said it was only proper that the respondents to the petition filed by three leaders of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) were told the nature of the claims against them.

The onus now lies on opposition candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, his running-mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and NPP chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey who are challenging the results of the December 2012 elections to furnish the respondents with all the details of their allegations.

The Supreme Court will today give its verdict on preliminary demands from parties in the petition challenging the outcome of the December 7 presidential election.

Two of the three respondents, President Mahama and the Electoral Commission (EC), filed separate applications praying the Supreme Court to order the petitioners to furnish them with further and better particulars of the petition.

They said they wanted "further and better particulars" with respect to the names and codes of the 4,709 polling stations, constituencies and regions where alleged electoral irregularities took place.

The petitioners had opposed the request of the applicants, arguing that the Court ought not to allow the EC to employ an application for further and better particulars to compel them to disclose the nature of evidence they intend to lead during the trial.

Their argument however failed.
The Court also by a unanimous decision granted the petitioners' application to direct the EC to provide them with detail records of persons abroad who voted in the elections.

They had requested details of the names and addresses of persons who were registered overseas and the mode and manner in which those persons were registered.


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