Victor Adawudu
A member of the Legal team of the NDC in the ongoing Presidential Election Petition case has vehemently rubbished allegations they have resorted to unnecessary delay tactics to prolong the case.
Victor Kojogah Adawudu says it is in the interest of the government in power, as it is with the petitioners, to have this case dispensed with as quickly as possible.
He says the government has made promises and must deliver on those promises. He said they cannot go back to the electorates four years later and tell them that because of the court case it could not honour those promises.
The cross examination of the Petitioners’ key witness Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has taken over 13 days with Tsatsu Tsikata, lead Counsel for the third respondent taking eight days so far.
He will enter his ninth day when the court sits on Tuesday, and there is no clear indication exactly when he will draw the curtain on his cross-examination.
Critics, mostly from within the NPP are accusing Mr Tsikata of engaging in needless repetitions to prolong the case.
On Monday, Presiding Judge William Atuguba also had cause to complain about the delay in proceedings so far and admonished all parties to adopt measures to expedite the trial.
Reacting to the concerns of delay, Kojogah Adawudu told Joy News’ Evans Mensah there “is no better option” than what has gone on so far.
He explained the respondents must “meticulously” subject the evidence brought before the court by the petitioners.
“If there was any other best option the court would have gone for it,” he intimated.
He said it is in the interest of the government to have this case determined as quickly as possible but added they will not sacrifice thorough and judicious work on the altar of a speedy trial.
“If you don’t have a good case that is when you adopt technicalities to buy time,” he said, adding, the NDC has no doubt at all that it won the elections fair and square.
On the motion filed by Tsatsu Tsikata to seek leave of the court to cross examine affidavits witnesses, Adawudu said his boss has the responsibility to cross examine those three witnesses- two of whom are NPP MPs and a polling Officer- otherwise the testimonies they have filed in affidavits will be assumed to be the truth.
In a rebuttal Frank Davies who is also a member of the legal team of the petitioners said the court will deal with quality of the argument and not quantity.
He explained it is not the number of days it takes to cross-examine a witness that matters but the issues raised in those cross-examination is what is crucial.
In his opinion Tsatsu has only been repetitive, “asking the same question over 20 times.”
He wondered why it took only five days for both Tony Lithur and Quarshie Idun to complete their cross examination of the witness but eight days and still counting for Tsikata to draw the curtain on his cross-examination.
“So far as the sun rises in the East and settles in the West, his cross examination will surely come to an end,” he stated.
On the issue of cross examining witness who have filed affidavits testimony Davies said the respondent would have to provide compelling reason why those witnesses must appear in person.