MP's appeal will be given early hearing - panel
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 March 2000
The Court of Appeal on Tuesday said it is determined to give early hearing to an application filed by Mr Isaac Edumadze, NPP Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam against a High Court ruling nullifying his position.
The three-member panel chaired by Mr Justice Essilfie Bondzie said the court's registrar would be ordered to serve notice on the parties.
Mr Edumadze has filed an application challenging a Cape Coast High Court ruling delivered on Friday, 19 November 1999 that declared Dr Joseph Kweku Enos as the duly elected NDC parliamentary candidate in the 1996 presidential elections.
In his statement of claim, Mr Edumadze is praying the court to stay the execution of the High Court order until his appeal has been determined.
The presiding judge of the High Court, Mrs Justice I. M. Heward-Mills had directed the "registrar to serve notice of the electoral results within 21 days to enable Dr Enos to take his rightful place in parliament".
In his submission, Mr Yaw Barimah, Member of Parliament for Koforidua and counsel for Mr Edumadze, told the court that his client was not served with hearing notice when the case was adjourned from 8 November 1999 to the following day and on the subsequent couple of days.
Mr Barimah said his client was indisposed all this time and the trial judge for that matter had a duty to give hearing notice to his client.
Counsel said the decision of the trial judge to close the case and give judgement against his client was a calculated attempt to deny his client the chance of making his side heard.
Mr Barimah submitted that for this reason the judgement could not stand.
Mr Sam Codjoe, counsel for Dr Enos, said Mr Edumadze was aware that the case was coming up for hearing on the 9 November, but he deliberately refused to attend proceedings.
Mr Justice P. K. Twumasi and Mr Justice Julius Ansah are the other members on the panel.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 March 2000
Alhaji Ashiru Aliru, the Nigerian who was arrested by a combined team of Police and Wildlife officials recently for using four crocodiles in his sales, has been deported.
He and three accomplices were fined 100,000 cedis each for possessing "wholly protected species" contrary to the Wildlife Conservation Regulations and ordered to leave the country with the reptiles.
He has since left the country with the reptiles, a source at the Ministries Police Station told the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday.
The regulation states that no person shall at any time hunt, capture, destroy or possess the species specified under the law.
The source said an Accra Public Tribunal presided over by Mrs Ivy Heward-Mills gave the deportation order.
It was learnt that the Nigerian had a difficult time conveying the reptiles into the vehicle from the Accra Zoo.
According to Accra Zoo sources, the biggest of the four reptiles nearly harmed Alhaji Aliru.
GR../