12th January 2022
Osama Bin Laden’s name popped up in the Wenchi High Court on Monday when the court was hearing an election petition.
This happened when the star witness for the petitioner Hon. Christopher Bayere Baasongti, Abdul-Hameed Zakaria mounted the witness box to be cross examined by lawyer for the Electoral Commission.
During the course of the cross examination, Lawyer Emmanuel Addai asked the star witness to mention his name to the court. When he did, the lawyer asked him if he is also called Bin Laden. The witness answered in the positive. Then the lawyer asked if he was named after Osama Bin Laden of Afghanistan but Hameed denied.
Below is except of what transpired in court;
Question: Confirm your full name to this court.
Answer: My Lord, Abdul- Hameed Zakaria is my full name. Abdul-Hameed, hyphenated.
Question: And you are also known as Bin Laden?
Answer: That is very very correct.
Question: You were named after Osama Bin Laden of Afghanistan!
Answer: My Lord, that is very wrong, I was not named after him.
Question: On 6/01/2022, you were granted an interview with Akina Radio, a radio station in Techiman. Is that not correct?
Answer: Yes, I granted an interview with the said Radio station.
Question: In the said interview, you spoke Twi language?
Answer: Yes, that is correct.
Question: In the same interview you granted with Akina Radio, you also said that Returning Officer declared the figures from his head.
Answer: My Lord, I stated that, considering the Form 1C, which the 2nd Respondent presented to this court, I am sure the Returning Officer did the collation in his kitchen or his bedroom, that is why he changed figures of some of our polling stations.
Question: I am suggesting to you that, your conduct was unlawful as a Director of Elections!
Answer: My Lord, this suggestion by counsel is illegitimate. I disagree, my Lord.
The suggestion is unacceptable. Because, there was no collation of any results, so there cannot be any conduct in relation to me.
The case has been adjourned to 17th January.
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