The legal team for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Presidential Election petition hearing, has expressed their shock in relation to the proceedings in court and the decision made by the Supreme Court in today’s hearing.
Speaking in a press briefing with the media, after the court hearing this afternoon, one of the legal members of the NDC who is also the Former Attorney General, Marietta Brew Oppong, disclosed that the team is quite shocked because, they were in court today for a pre-trial and case management, which was not the case they saw today.
“For those who have been in court, you know what case management is- case management is the discussion between the two parties and the court as to how the trial will proceed.
“But today, that is not what happened. We were told what is going to happen and there was no discussion or whatsoever on what our views were as to how the case should proceed, so we are quite shocked.”
She also lamented on the court not attending to the application for interrogations filed by the team.
“Now, you are all aware already that we filed an application for the interrogatories, we have served them with notice to admit us notice to actually inspect documents. All those things have not been attended to. You know I have already filed an application for review of their order yesterday, relating to their refusal to grant us leave to serve the interrogatories and that has been fixed for the 28th.”
Lawyer, Marietta Oppong, expressed worry about the fact that, those things will have an effect on the kind of witness statement the team will file adding that, if those business have not yet been attended to by the court, how then were they to file the new witness cases within the time frame given.
“For us, it’s shocking and it really does not make sense to us as lawyers who have been practicing for so many years and we know what the rules are.”
She further said that, every objection the legal team of the NDC has raised is grounded by law and was not a plan to delay the case as it was initially purported.
Additionally, she lamented on the fact that, processes the NDC legal team brought to court has not been served and revealed that it was a worry to the team.
“So, if you ask us to come to court on the 26th January to start a trial and all our facts have not been dealt with, how then do you start a trial.”
The Supreme Court today adjourned the Presidential Election petition hearing to Tuesday, 26th January 2021, on the basis of case management, to allow for some statements and memorandum of issues to be filed by the petitioners and the respondents.
