Prez Mahama's 4,800 Witnesses Can’t Delay Justice

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Created on Tuesday, 15 January 2013 00:00

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Prez Mahama's 4,800 Witnesses Can’t Delay Justice

A MEMBER OF the New Patriotic Party (NPP) legal team, Prof. Mike Oquaye, has told the teeming supporters of the largest opposition political party not to panic over the 4,800 witnesses that the NDC intends to produce in court.

According to him, the huge number of witnesses that the ruling political party claims to have would not in any way delay justice from prevailing in a case where the NPP is contesting the validity of the 2012 presidential polls.

NPP supporters in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, have been hit with fear and anxiety since news broke that the NDC was producing 4,800 witnesses in court over the matter.

The NPP supporters were of the opinion that the move was a well calculated strategy by the ruling political party to delay justice so that President Mahama could remain in office.

But Prof. Oquaye said even if the NDC decided to produce witnesses in excess of the current figure, the Supreme Court would act expeditiously to allow justice to prevail in the pressing national issue.

Speaking on radio in Kumasi, the former Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said the matter which the NPP had sent to court was a serious one therefore nobody should think that they could rely on tricks to delay justice.

He reminded Ghanaians that the matter at the Supreme Court was a serious one which involved the validity of a national election to elect the leader of the country for the next four years.

Prof. Oquaye was of the view that the Supreme Court would work within a short period and bring its verdict for peace to prevail for the country to move on. Therefore, nobody should harbour any fears.

The NPP leading member said when the court started hearing the matter, it would continue without breaks so that it (the Supreme Court) could come out with its verdict as soon as possible.

He pointed out that the court would sit on weekends and holidays when it started hearing the matter, noting that that move would help expedite the adjudication of the case.

Prof. Oquaye, a lawyer, said claiming that you had about 4,800 witnesses did not necessarily mean that all those people would be mandated to appear in court to testify in the case.

He noted that if that was the trend, then all defendants in cases brought before the law courts would always produce large numbers of witnesses so as to delay justice from being passed.

The NPP man said the court could decide to select a fraction of the large number of witnesses that the NDC claims to have to testify in the case so that justice would be passed immediately.

“The court can call two people per any issue that they are hearing so that justice would be reached as soon as possible,” the former parliamentarian assured NPP fans, urging them to have confidence in the judiciary.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi

Source: Daily Guide/Ghana