One of the lawyers for the Second Respondent in the ongoing election petition filed by the 2020 presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Mr. Frank Davies has lashed out at lawyers of the petitioner, John Dramani Mahama for misconduct and disobeying orders of the apex court of Ghana.
The Supreme Court served notice on Tuesday 26 January, 2021 that it won’t hesitate to dismiss John Mahama’s election petition should his legal team fail to abide by orders of the court.
The caution followed an explanation by Counsel for the Petitioner, Tony Lithur that they had opted not to file witness statements as ordered by the court due to pending applications earlier filed.
The Apex Court had earlier instructed the petitioner and his legal team to file their witness statement as well as the first and second respondents before the court resumed hearing of the petition on Tuesday.
According to him, Mr. Mahama has filed a stay of proceedings along with an application for the apex court to review the dismissal of his permission to serve the EC some 12 interrogatories.
However, Mr. Frank Davies in a media interaction after Justices empanelled for the case adjourned proceedings to Thursday 28 January, 2021, said the court at all material times is governed by rules and accordingly applies its rules to the latter.
He noted the petitioner and his counsel have no unfettered right to bombard the court with needless and unnecessary applications they have filed.
The angry former President of the Greater Accra Ghana Bar Association did not mince words by saying that the Supreme Court is not a forum for organized, rehearsed and choreographed theatricals and melodrama.
He stressed it is a place for real hard and serious legal work.
He added the apex court is not for flowery of literature, long speeches and rather dull English devoid of any legal merit.
“I want to advise my colleagues on the other side that if it ain’t broken; don’t attempt to fix it. We are ready for them on Thursday” lawyer Frank Davies intimated further. Meanwhile, the court gave the petitioner up until close of Wednesday 27 January, 2021 to file all witness statements and the accompanying affidavits.
