2012 Election Petition Hearing: We Will Not Hand Over- NDC Members Tell Supreme Court

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Category: Elections & Governance

Created on Thursday, 27 June 2013 00:00

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2012 Election Petition Hearing: We Will Not Hand Over- NDC Members Tell Supreme Court

27 June 2013

{sidebar id=10 align=right}Leading members of the National Democratic Congress continue to serve notice of what appears to be an officially sanctioned decision by the party not to accept the final verdict of the Supreme Court in respect of the 2012 presidential election petition, if it should go in favour of the petitioners.

Justice William Atuguba, President of the nine-member panel of judges hearing the election petition, challenging the legitimacy of the presidency of John Dramani Mahama, Monday expressed serious concerns about what he said was an attempt by some people to undermine the authority of the court with unacceptable comments.

He accordingly issued a stern warning that the court would no longer countenance such behaviour, stressing: “any person, be it in the media or not, who crosses the final touchline of proper coverage reportage will be met with the appropriate response.”

Just a day after what was supposed to be a final warning by the court, leading members of the NDC re-iterated previous warnings by other leading members of the governing party that they would not accept the final verdict on the election petition if Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the first petitioner and the 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, was declared the president of the country.

Speaking on Asempa FM Tuesday, Stephen Atubiga, defeated NDC parliamentary hopeful for the 2012 election in the Binduri constituency, announced President John Dramani Mahama would not in any way be prepared to step down and hand over the presidency of the nation accordingly if the verdict of the Supreme Court went against him.

The president himself had said he won the 2012 election “cleanly and fairly” and that the Supreme Court would not have any choice than to re-affirm his supposed clean victory.

“Regarding the outcome of the Supreme Court [Election Petition], the president will not hand over,” Stephen Atubiga categorically, querying: “How can Supreme Court annul my vote simply because someone did not sign a pink sheet?

Stephen Atubiga, who repeated his warning yesterday on Boss FM, a Kumasi based radio station, added that members of the NDC would not sit aloof and allow the Supreme Court to hand over power to the NPP.

“The NDC will never vacate the presidency, should the Supreme Court declare Nana Addo and NPP victors of the case. We are not and will not in the future get out of government; whatever the Court will say will not be practical, unless such comments are in our favour,” he stated yesterday on Boss FM, adding “ there will be mayhem in Ghana if the Court in anyway call victory for the NPP”.

According to the member of the NDC communications team, it would be "a bitter-sweet victory" for the NPP even if the petitioners won their case because "Ghana cannot contain all of us".

He said the foot-soldiers of the NDC were prepared to protect the presidency of John Dramani Mahama, even at the peril of their lives, stressing: "We are prepared to meet the NPP boot for boot. We are ever ready; we will not hand over."

As the same time Stephen Atubiga was issuing the warning on Asempa FM, the Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser of the NDC, Kwaku Boahen, was also on Kumasi based Angel FM serving the same notice of the party’s evil plans against the nation.

“If the NPP is dreaming that a day will come in Ghana that the court will say the December 2012 election was marred with fraud and that the NPP flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is the real winner, for the NDC to hand over power, they should forget,” he cautioned.

“Do you think NDC will sit aloof and watch the court hand over power to the NPP? Never! It will never happen in Ghana and anyone can mark it on the wall,” he stressed.

The public declaration of intention by NDC members not to accept a verdict in favour of the petitioners started gaining momentum after President Mahama had told party activists that he won the 2012 presidential election “cleanly and fairly”, and that the Supreme Court could not come to any conclusion that re-affirm his victory.

A member of the party’s communication team, Gabby Asuming, last week Thursday warned that any declaration by the Supreme Court that would make the first petitioner, Nana Akufo-Addo, the president of the nation would be a sure recipe for civil war.

“I tell you that, look, this election which the NDC has won genuinely; there is no place for Nana Addo. His Excellency President Mahama will make his four years mandate and there is nobody, Nana Addo, on the face of the pink sheet, to be a President; then, maybe, we are calling for civil war in this country; I am telling you,” the NDC communicator charged on OK FM.

Kakra Essumuah, also a leading member of the NDC, is on record to have declared his plans to support any coup attempt, should Nana Akufo-Addo be declared the president by the Supreme Court.

According to General Secretary of the NPP, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, these comments from leading members of the governing NDC “clearly indicate a deliberate agenda to lead this country into anarchy, by refusing to accept the outcome of the election petition, and this must be a matter of serious concern to all peace-loving people in the country and elsewhere in the whole world.”

In an interview with the New Statesman, Mr Owusu-Afriyie noted that leading members of the NDC “would not come out to make such comments if the party had not planned this evil and sinister agenda against the nation.”

He added: “The fact that the party has not officially come out to condemn these comments should tell everybody that they were only communicating what the party had planned, and this is where we expect the National Peace Council, the religious bodies and other civil society organisations to come out and condemn such utterances.”

Source: thestatesmanonline.com

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Nana Addo asks party supporters to keep faith

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Category: Politics

Created on Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:00

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Nana Addo asks party supporters to keep faith

New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2012 Presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo has asked NPP supporters to keep faith in him. He made this remark at the party's headquarters in Accra on Thursday June 20, 2013.

In what is believed to be his first public address since the NPP filed the petition contesting the 2012 presidential elections, Nana Addo also briefed party supporters about his activities in the UK.

Nana Addo touched on issues bordering on the election petition which has been adjourned to Monday June 24.

Reports say the supporters were happy to see he was in good health.

Nana Addo’s trip to the UK had been mired in rumours suggesting he suffered a heart attack; others even circulated reports of his death subsequently on social media.

The 2012 Presidential candidate is said to be in a closed door meeting with other party executives at its headquarters.

From: Myjoyonline.com

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CPP chases Abu Sakara, Samia over GHc700,000 campaign cash

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Category: Politics

Created on Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:00

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CPP chases Abu Sakara, Samia over GHc700,000 campaign cash

A fact-finding committee set up by the Convention People’s Party (CPP) to establish alleged acts of financial impropriety involving the leadership of the party, has indicted the flag-bearer for the 2012 elections, Dr Abu Sakara, and the Chairperson, Ms Samia Yaba Nkrumah, for failing to account for GH¢700,000 of campaign funds meant for the elections.

According to the committee, although the Central Committee of the party could not establish the total amount of funds received throughout the election period, it put total disbursements based on submissions it received at about GH¢700,000 with the funds going to Dr Sakara and Ms Nkrumah.

{sidebar id=12 align=right}Other recipients of the funds were the General Secretary, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, and Ms Rodaline Imoro Ayarna, a member of the party.

The committee – which was chaired by Mr K. T. Dadzie – had Mr Ekow Duncan, Madam Araba Bentsi-Enchill, Nii Gborbillor Fleischer and Mr Kosey Dedey as members.

According to the report, written submissions by persons who appeared before the committee confirmed receipt of substantial funds and two Toyota Hilux vehicles, which were received by the National Chairman It added that GH¢200,000 was received from a ‘donor’ out of which GH¢150,000 was used to pay the filing fees for parliamentary candidates and part of the remainder used to purchase motorbikes.

Rumours were rife before and after the last elections that CPP officials had received and disbursed funds without due process.

Subsequent to this, Ms Nkrumah confirmed to the Central Committee that she had been consulted by the General Secretary of the party prior to the elections about funds that had come from some donors.

The committee was then set up to establish the facts about those allegations.

According to the report, a request by Dr Sakara for money to offset debts he incurred during the elections could not be accepted as he had not provided enough documents to support his claims.

It said except for the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, all other regional chairmen failed to properly account for monies received by their respective regions as requested by the committee.

“The committee was unable to confirm the source of funding as persons who appeared before it were unwilling to disclose the source of funding,” it added.

The report faulted Dr Sakara, Mr Greenstreet and Ms Ayarna, who it said were directly involved with funds, for disbursing monies through their individual bank accounts.

“The committee finds that a lack of trust among the leadership based on their unwillingness to disclose the amounts received and sources of funds made it difficult for proper accounting records to be kept and rendered to the committee,” it said.

According to the report, donations received by party officials by virtue of the office they held could not be termed as “personal gifts and property”, maintaining that the receipt and disbursement of monies and other resources by the leadership without proper consultation, approval and records were in gross violation of the party’s constitution.

“The attempt to appropriate party goodwill and donations as personal gifts is unacceptable because the role of each party official in the December general election was not as individuals but as party members and officials,” the report said.

“Not dealing decisively with issues within this report and providing the needed direction will make it difficult for the party to offer itself as a credible alternative to the people of Ghana,” it said.

Among its recommendations, the committee instructed Mr Kwame Ameyaw, Mr Emmanuel Gollo and Mr Ato Maclean to refund GH¢16,000, GH¢20,000 and GH¢1,000, respectively, into the national accounts of the party.

It further directed that all original receipts of transfer of funds be presented to the Finance Committee of the party and a detailed report presented to the National Chairman.

The report called for the ownership of vehicles received by Mr Greenstreet, Ms Nkrumah and Dr Sakara towards the 2012 polls to be transferred to the party by the next Central Committee meeting and the evidence submitted accordingly to the Finance Committee.

It also asked party members who received monies but did not appear before the committee to account for disbursement and refund all balances to the Finance Committee.

The report recommended the immediate appointment of an acting treasurer until the next delegates congress.

“The Central Committee must consider instituting disciplinary procedure against any party official who refuses to comply with the above recommendations,” it said.

When contacted on telephone, Ms Nkrumah angrily declined to speak on the matter except to say that whoever leaked the report to this reporter was a saboteur who was seeking the downfall of the CPP.

“Young man, who gave you this report? You should not have this report and whoever gave it to you has contravened the rules and regulations of the party,” she said in an angry tone.

“As chairman, my duty is to protect the party and, therefore, l cannot grant you an interview. I’m sorry, I cannot give you an interview,” she said when asked further for her comment.

For his part, Dr Sakara told the Daily Graphic that the report was a confidential one awaiting response at the next Central Committee meeting.

He, however, condemned the committee, saying that the motive for releasing the report was to dent his image.

He said he had submitted written responses to the party leadership to negate those allegations based on which the party leadership could make the report public.

Dr Sakara expressed the view that somebody out there was determined to throw mud at him and to pull him down.

He stated that the money he personally raised to run the campaign far exceeded what the committee said could not be accounted for.

“I’m not going to comment on this issue, but what I can say is that the CPP abandoned me to run my own campaign and the money I raised far exceeded the ‘rubbish’ they are talking about,” he added.

From: Ghana/Graphic Online

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KPMG Pink Sheets Out

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Category: Elections & Governance

Created on Wednesday, 19 June 2013 00:00

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KPMG Pink Sheets Out

{sidebar id=10 align=right}KPMG, the reputable international accounting firm, has finally completed the categorisation of the pink sheets in respect of the nature of statutory violations, irregularities and malpractices in the ongoing Presidential Election Petition.

he accounting firm has subsequently furnished all the parties with the draft report for consideration pending the completion of the counting of Justice William Atuguba’s pink sheets.

KPMG found 11,842 as per the affidavit filed but the actual count of pink sheets exhibited was 13,928 bringing a difference of 1,082.

This goes contrary to the claims by the respondents that they had less pink sheets than the petitioners claimed they had supplied to them (respondents)

The draft report issued by KPMG to all the parties was announced in court last week.

The petitioners had always insisted that the number of pink sheets involved in the exercise might have increased due to mislabelling and also said it would not affect their analysis since every polling station was counted once.

However, the respondents have accused the petitioners of deliberately ‘duplicating’ and ‘quadruplicating’ the pink sheets in order to make a case to deceive the court.

They, therefore, asked for auditing of the pink sheets filed by the petitioners and used the copies received by the presiding judge, Justice Atuguba, as control mechanism.

Atuguba Pink Sheets

The Justice Atuguba’s pink sheets, after counting so far, have turned out to be far in excess of 9,800, thus confirming the number the petitioners claimed they supplied to the court.

There were 24 categories involved in the exercise conducted by the KPMG and they were to specify in respect of each pink sheet, “polling station name and its code number and exhibit number if any,” as the court had ordered.

In tracking the pink sheets, the independent referee, in the presence of two representatives each from the parties, used the petitioners’ affidavit paragraph numbers (44 to 67) before categorising them in terms of the number of affidavits involved in each paragraph, the actual count and the difference found.

The bone of contention lies in paragraph 56 of the petitioners’ affidavit labelled as MB-P Series where the actual count exceeded the pink sheets filed as per the affidavit.

In the affidavits 6,823 pink sheets were said to have been filed while 8,905 were found in the actual count by KPMG with a difference of 2,082.

In the MB-C Series (paragraph 44), the number of affidavits were 320 and the actual count was 318 with a difference of 2, while in the MB-D series (paragraph 45) 122 were counted as per the number of affidavits and while the same 122 were recorded as the actual count.

The MB-E series (paragraph 46) recorded 374 as per the affidavit while the actual count had 371 with 3 as the difference. The MB-F series (paragraph 47) had 66 as per the affidavit and the actual count was 66.

In the MB-G series (paragraph 48) both the affidavit filed and the actual count stood at 20 and in the MB-H series (paragraph 49) the affidavits filed were 882 while the actual count was 910 with a difference of 28.

The MB-J series (paragraph 50) affidavits filed were 196 while the actual count revealed 195 with a difference of 1. In the MB-K series (paragraph 51), the affidavits filed were 71 while the actual count revealed 84 with a difference of 13.

In the MB-L series (paragraph 52), the affidavits filed were 379 and the actual count revealed 382 with a difference of 3 while in the MB-M series (paragraph 53), the affidavits filed were 1,068 while the actual count stood at 1,086 with a difference of 18.

The MB-N series (paragraph 54) had 185 affidavits filed while 181 were revealed as the actual count with a difference of 4, just as in the MB-O series (paragraph 55) both the affidavits filed and the actual count stood at 59.

In the MB-Q series (paragraph 57), the affidavits filed were 907 and the actual count revealed 874 with a difference of 33 while in the MB-S series (paragraph 58), the affidavits filed were 310 while the actual count stood at 306 with a difference of 4.

The MB-T and MB-U series (paragraphs 59 & 60), only 3 and 2 affidavits were filed respectively while the same numbers were revealed as the actual counts just as in the MB-V and MB-W series also had 12 and 4 affidavits respectively with the same number found in the respective actual counts.

Under the MB-X and MB-Z Series (paragraphs 63 & 65), there were 8 and 4 exhibits filed respectively but the respective actual counts revealed 6 and 2 bringing a shortage of 2 each while in the MB-Y, MB-AA and MB-AB Categories (paragraphs 63, 66 & 67), the exhibits filed were, 2, 2 and 23 respectively while in the respective actual counts, there were no differences recorded in each of them.

In the grand totals, the actual count stood at 13,928 while 11,842 were recorded as per the affidavits filed.

The petitioners had told the court that some of the documents were no longer relevant because they discarded them in the course of labelling.

By William Yaw Owusu

Source: Daily Guide/Ghana

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