The Supreme Court has set
January 4 as the day to hear legal arguments in a case that could potentially
determine whether or not Energy Minister John Peter Amewu is sworn in as MP for
Hohoe constituency on January 7.
There is currently in force an
injunction granted by a Ho High court barring the EC from gazzeting Mr. Amewu
as the winner of the polls.
This injunction was granted
after some residents of Santrofi, Akpafu, Likpe and Lolobi argued that failure
to vote in the just-ended parliamentary elections amounted to a breach of their
rights.
They say the creation of the Oti
Region coupled with a recent Supreme Court decision and failure of the EC to
create a constituency for them, meant they did not vote for a parliamentary
candidate in the just-ended election.
They subsequently got the Ho
High court to grant an injunction but the Attorney-General headed to the Apex
Court saying this decision is not legally sound.
Deputy Attorney-General, Godfred
Yeboah Dame however argues that the High court erred when it granted the
injunction and wants the Supreme Court to set it aside.
The court on Wednesday granted
Mr. Dame’s request to have an earlier hearing to ensure the matter is
determined before January 7.
Mr. Dame said the case affects the rights of the residents of
Hohoe Constituency to have an MP and the composition of the next parliament.
Lawyer for the residents of SALL
Tsatsu Tsikata who despite not being served because the application was
ex-parte showed up in court.
He urged the court to hear him
since whatever decision it takes on when to hear the case will affect him.
Deputy Attorney-General, Godfred
Dame said he was not opposed to the court hearing Mr. Tsikata.
Mr. Tsikata told the court to
hear the matter as early as possible.
When the court proposed January
4 as the day to hear the matter, he asked for an earlier date than January 4.
The panel comprising Justices
Appau, Marful Sau, Gertrude Torkonoo, Clemence Honyenuga, and Amadu Tanko
settled on January 4; pointing out that January 1 was a statutory holiday.
No comments