By William Yaw Owusu
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
The case in which suspended New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Paul
Afoko is seeking to overturn the party’s decisions is expected to be decided on
Monday, August 15.
This follows the submission of written addresses by lawyers
representing both parties in the case.
However, the Human Rights Court presided over by Justice Anthony
Yeboah indicated yesterday that the judgement date could be brought forward
before the August 15 if he was able to ‘finish’ his judgement ahead of time.
“We may have to abridge the date if I am able to finish writing my
judgement ahead of time and will get the registrar to serve you hearing
notices,” he said.
Mr. Afoko is suing the NPP and its Acting National Chairman, Freddie
Blay who is also the First National Vice Chairmen after he was suspended
indefinitely 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 to the court to order his re-instatement as the
National Chairman because he alleges that the party’s action was
unconstitutional.
Mr. Afoko among other things is
contesting the issue of whether Gifty Eugenia Kusi, MP for Tarkwa Nsuaem was
validly appointed to the National Disciplinary Committee which recommended his
suspension to National Executive Council (NEC).
A similar case instituted by Sammy
Crabbe the suspended 2nd Vice chairman was thrown for lacking merit.
Witnesses
in the case
During the entire trial, Mr Afoko had
listed two people as the witnesses he was going to rely on in the case.
The witnesses included his lawyer in
the initial stages of the case Martin Kpebu as well as Kwabena Agyei Agyapong
who has also been suspended by the party.
However, Mr. Agyapong chickened out of the case and this was
confirmed by Mr. Afoko’s lawyer on June 16 when the prospective witness was to
be called to testify.
“You
will realize that we have Mr. Kwabena Agyepong as part of the witnesses to be
called by the plaintiff but he is unavailable so that will be the end of the
plaintiff’s case,” Mr. Buaben told the court.
The NPP on the other hand brought two
witnesses including the party’s Disciplinary Committee Chairman Rt Rev. Samuel
Asante Antwi, a former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana and
Peter Mac Manu, a former NPP Chairman to testify in the case.
Court
Proceedings
Mr. Afoko was not in court when the case was called at exactly 9:04
am yesterday and he was represented by Daniel Dugan, a former deputy minister
during the Kufuor-led NPP administration.
Godfred Yeboah counsel for both the NPP and Freddy Blay was present
in court while Mr. Afoko’s lawyer Osafo Buaben was represented by Reynolds
Twumasi.
Since the case commenced, Mr. Afoko has been coming to court,
escorted by fully armed police officers reportedly drawn from the Monitors
Unit.
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