NPP OPENS DEFENCE IN AFOKO CASE

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday, June 27, 2016

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has commenced a defence in the decision it took to suspend Paul Afoko as its National Chairman.

Mr. Afoko has sued the NPP and its acting National Chairman, Freddie Blay (who is also the First National Vice Chairman), following his indefinite suspension in October last year by the party.

The party’s Disciplinary Committee (DC) had recommended his suspension from the NPP after a petition by two members of the party; and Mr. Afoko wants the court to order his re-instatement as the national chairman because he claims that the party’s action was unconstitutional.

Mr. Afoko, among other things, is contesting the issue of whether Gifty Eugenia Kusi, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa Nsuaem, was validly appointed to the National Disciplinary Committee which recommended his suspension to the National Executive Council (NEC).

A similar case instituted by the suspended 2^nd vice chairman of the party was thrown out by another court recently for lack of merit.

Yesterday, at the Human Rights Court presided over by Justice Anthony Yeboah, it was Most Reverend Samuel Asante Antwi, a former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana -   currently Chairman of the NPP Disciplinary Committee – who mounted the witness box to testify for the party, led in evidence by Godfred Yeboah Dame.

He confirmed to the court during cross-examination by Osafo Buaben, counsel for Mr. Afoko, that membership of the Disciplinary Committee is made up of the various groups of the party and mentioned some of them as the Legal Committee, Parliamentary Caucus, National Executive and Chairman of the party, among others. 

Lawyer Vrs Bishop

Counsel (Osafo Buaben): How did you become the Chairman of the National Disciplinary Committee?

Witness (Most Rev Asante Antwi): I was appointed by the suspended chairman of the NPP

Counsel: Was the appointment by way of a letter or verbal?

Witness: It was by a letter from the General Secretary based on the constitution of the NPP.

Counsel: It was on the official letterhead of the NPP.

Witness: Yes.

Counsel: In that appointment letter it was clearly stated that the National Council at a meeting had approved and appointed you to be the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.

Witness: That is correct.

Counsel: Similar letters were written to Dr. Addo Kufuor, J. Ayikoi Otoo, Prof. Mike Oquaye, Ama Busia, Nana Yaw Osei, Alhaji Rahman and W.O. Boafo. Is that not so?

Witness: That is correct.

Counsel: As you sit in the box, have you sighted a similar letter from the National Council for Gifty Kusi?

Witness: Membership to the Disciplinary Committee is appointed by the various groups of the party. For example, the Legal Committee, Parliamentary Group, National Executive, Chairman of the NPP, etc. 

Replacement Letter

The witness told the packed court that he sighted a letter replacing WO Boafo with Gifty Kusi due to the fact that he (WO Boafo) had written to the parliamentary group that he was undertaking a post-operation treatment home and abroad and could not continue to sit on the committee.

 Most Rev. Asante-Antwi averred, “We sit as members of the Disciplinary Committee. We do not remove Chairmen. We are a Disciplinary Committee under Article 4 of the NPP Constitution.”

He said Ms Gifty Kusi was appointed by the Parliamentary Group on October 1, 2015 to replace WO Boafo, who had not been attending meetings, and added that the Tarkwa Nsuaem MP was part of the committee on October 6, 2015.

 “She was appointed onto the committee by the parliamentary caucus on October 1, 2015 to be a member to replace Mr WO Boafo who was not attending meetings,” he told the court.

The witness said he never sighted a similar letter written to Madam Gifty Kusi, but sighted a letter replacing Lawyer WO Boafo with her.

“It came from the office of the minority caucus, and was in response to a letter sent to the caucus by Mr Boafo entitled, ‘My membership of the NDC, application for my replacement,’ addressed to the minority leader in parliament, which had to do with his medical post-operation treatment home and abroad,” Most Rev. Asante-Antwi disclosed.

He noted that it was based on this that Madam Kusi became a member of the committee, and sat on the proceedings held on October 6, 2015. The case was later adjourned to July 4 for a continuation of the cross-examination.