Supreme Court quashes Hajia Fati's motion
Two brothers jailed 10 years each for
dealing in narcotics.
Koforidua High court strikes out case
against EC
Unemployed man jailed ten years for
defilement
Supreme Court quashes Hajia Fati's motion
Bolgatanga (Northern Region) 10 January 2001
The Supreme Court on Tuesday served notice of motion to the Bolgatanga High Court, quashing proceedings in the case in which Hajia Fati Seidu, out-gone Member of Parliament for Bawku Central constituency, sought the order of the court for a re-count of ballots of the December 7 parliamentary election.
This was because Madam Hawa Yakubu had filed a motion at the Supreme Court to quash proceedings.
The court, presided by Mr Justice Gilbert Mensah Quaye, was to determine and confirm on Tuesday the true winner of the parliamentary election in Bawku Central constituency after ordering a re-collation or a re-count of ballots of 147 polling stations in the constituency last Saturday.
The Supreme Court order came when the presiding judge was to rule on an application filed by Mr Akoto Ampaw, counsel for Madam Hawa Yakubu, to include his client in the proceedings, after Mr James Ben Kaba and Mr Kwaku Baah, counsel for Hajia Seidu, had earlier discontinued the suit against Madam Yakubu as the first respondent.
Besides, counsel for the Electoral Commission, Mr Emilio Musah, told the court that counting of the ballots as ordered by the court could not be carried out because, contrary to the court's directive that only two representatives of each party be present at the collation, the NDC brought in more people than required and did not indicate who the rightful representatives were.
He further alleged that NPP executives could not be contacted because they had all travelled to Accra for the inaugural ceremony of the President-elect, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor.
In respect of the Supreme Court order, counsel for the parties involved jointly declared that the ballot boxes be kept in safety by the EC while the Police mount a 24-hour surveillance on the EC premises, pending further directives by the Supreme Court.
Mr Justice Quaye in his ruling said orders of the Supreme Court supersede his orders and, in submission to the Supreme Court ruling, adjourned the case sine die.
GRi…/
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Two brothers jailed 10 years each for
dealing in narcotics.
Odumase-Krobo (Eastern Region) 10 January 2001
The Krobo Odumase Circuit Court on Monday sentenced two brothers, Moses Ametame and Felix Mawuli, to 10 years' in jail each in hard labour for dealing in narcotics.
They both pleaded not guilty to the offence but the trial judge, Mr E.H. Ampadu, considering the evidence before him, found them liable of the offence.
Police Inspector Felix Ahagyiirim, who prosecuted, told the court that Akuse Police, while on night patrol on October 3, last year, were informed about the activities of the accused persons.
The Police, he said, rushed to the scene and found the accused persons in a room packaging dried leaves and seeds.
The police arrested the two brothers and sent a sample of the leaves to the Police Forensic laboratory where it was confirmed to be Indian hemp.
GRi…/
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Koforidua High court strikes out case
against EC
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 10 January 2001
A High Court in Koforidua on Friday struck out a petition filed by the former MP for Okere, Mr Fuzzy Torbay, restraining the Electoral Commission (EC) from declaring the NPP candidate of the 2000 elections winner of the Okere constituency seat.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice George E. Twum, also awarded a cost of one million cedis against Mr Torbay.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Twum described the petition as "premature and incompetent".
He explained that, under Section 18 of the people's representation law, PNDCL 284, election petition shall be presented within 21 days after the date of the publication in the gazette of the result of the election to which it relates.
Mr Justice Twum said Mr Torbay filed his petition on December 18, 2000, when the results of the Okere constituency and for that matter the whole country had not been gazetted.
It would be recalled that on December 18, last year, Mr Torbay, who was declared the loser in the December 7, 2000 parliamentary election, filed a petition at an Accra High court restraining the EC from declaring Mr Bradford Daniel Adu, the NPP candidate, as the winner.
The petition also prayed the court to order the addition and recount of ballot papers rejected by the EC on the basis of having had the picture of the petitioner thumprinted on the petitioner's face.
It further urged the court to compel the EC to declare Mr Torbay the winner of the Okere constituency seat.
The petition was however transferred from Accra to the Koforidua High court, which had jurisdiction over the case.
Mr. Torbay was represented in court by Mr Bram-Larbi Beecham of Bram-Larbi Beecham and Company, based in Accra, while the EC was represented by Mr Armah of Quarshie Idun and Company, also based in Accra. Mr Adu was represented by Mr Philip Anderson and Kwaku Asirifi.
GRi…/
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Unemployed man jailed ten years for
defilement.
Ho (Volta Region) 10 January 2001
A Ho Circuit Tribunal on Tuesday sentenced Kwame Yeboah, unemployed, to 10 years' imprisonment for defiling an 11-year-old girl.
Yeboah, 32, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced on his own plea by the tribunal presided over by Mr Robin Batu.
The court heard that on December 24, last year, the victim and her brother were invited by the accused under the pretext of giving them Christmas gifts.
According to the prosecution, while in the room, the accused gave 200 cedis to the brother of the victim to buy him cigarettes, and whiles he was away, he defiled her. He then warned her not to tell anybody about what had happened.
The victim, for fear of the threat, did not inform anybody about it until she fell sick and became pale.
When the parents queried her, she narrated what had happened and they in turn reported the case to the police.
GRi…/
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