Frank Davies, Head of the Legal Directorate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and one of the lawyers representing President Akufo-Addo in the ongoing Election Petition has been reprimanded by the Supreme Court to desist from granting media interviews at the end of court proceedings.
Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, prior to the commencement of proceedings today, February 1 2020, stated that the court was not pleased with Mr. Davies granting media interviews after trial.
He further revealed that granting media interviews as an astute lawyer in the case is acting contrary to the Legal Professional Conduct and Ethical Rules of 2020
“Mr. Frank Davies, we respectfully want to draw your attention to the Legal Professional conduct and Ethical Rules of 2020. If you look at rule 38, the court is not comfortable with the post-trial interviews that you grant outside.
“A lawyer who is practicing or has participated in the investigation or litigation of a matter that is still pending before a court shall not make an out-of-court statement or grant an interview to the media on the matter.”
The Chief Justice however, noted that an individual can be appointed to grant interviews on behalf of the second respondent.
“Somebody other than you may do it, that is not our concern, but you are precluded by law because you have been announced in the case on a regular basis.
Reacting to this, Mr. Frank Davies acknowledged the caution and assured the court that the advice was “faithfully taken.”
Justice Anin-Yeboah further urged other lawyers in court who are not active participants in the ongoing case to remove their robes and wigs before granting media interviews.
“If you are even a lawyer, and you are not actively participating, we make a passionate plea to you to put down your robes and grant the interviews. We don’t think that you should be in robes with the wigs on addressing the media”.
Meanwhile, first witness for the petitioner, John Asiedu Nketia, has stated in the Supreme Court that he never said the petitioner, John Dramani Mahama, won the 2020 Presidential Elections.
During cross-examination, the witness was confronted with video evidence where he was addressing an NDC press conference after the December 7 elections. The witness admitted to saying the NDC won majority of the seats in Parliament, but denied he declared John Mahama winner in any of the press conferences he addressed before and after the 1st Respondent, the Electoral Commission’s declaration of the presidential results on December 9.
According to Mr. Nketia, he only expressed expectations that the petitioner would win the elections based on his knowledge of the dynamics of elections in Ghana over the years.
“Every evidence was pointing at president Mahama’s victory and in fact, My Lords, permit me, in all the 7 parliamentary and presidential elections that have been held in this country before this one the presidential candidate and the political party which wins and controls parliament ends up winning the presidency”.
