Third witness for the petitioner in the ongoing election petition hearing, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, has insisted that the Chair of the 1st Respondent, the Electoral Commission (EC) Jean Mensa, is fully aware that she instructed the representatives of the petitioner in the strong room to leave before the announcement of the final election results.
During cross-examination by lawyer for the EC Mr Justine Amenuvor on Monday February 8, Mettle-Nunoo told the court that “She [knows] she directed to us to the petitioner, she knew that she told us she will give us escort.”
He further told the court that former Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) Dr Afari Gyan gave representatives of the various presidential candidates in an election in the strong room opportunities to correct some mistakes before the final declaration of the results.
However, he said, Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensa who is the current chair of the EC, never gave opportunities to the representatives to do.
“Dr Afari Gyan gave opportunity for errors to be corrected,” he said during cross examination.
He further told lawyer for EC in the ongoing election petition hearing Mr Justine Amenuvor on Monday February 8 that he should be given a fair opportunity to answer the questions during cross-examination.
Mr Amenuvor had told him, “You have testified that you made a mistake in certifying the Ashanti regional sheets, is that correct?
In answer, Rojo said “My Lords, I have indicated that I made a mistake on the Ashanti summary sheet declaration in the EC’s strong room for very specific reasons.”
Mr Amenuvor came in again with another question saying “When did you…?” but Rojo interjected saying “I haven’t finished answering the question pleased…Am I not permitted to elaborate on that?
“I am not arguing with you, I am not arguing with my Lords, I am saying you have to give me a fair opportunity to answer the question as the witness, I must be given a fair opportunity to answer the question.”
In one of his explanations, he said “You asked me an initial question that do I know the procedure and the process in the strong room and I said that the regional results are the results submitted to the strong room should not just include the summary.
“It should include the 275 constituency results that make up that summary, You cannot present the summery without the justification of the summary.
“So logically the summary is certified in terms of by the representative so the presidential candidate in the strong room.”
By Laud Nartey|editors.3news.com|Ghana
