Petition challenges
MP's eligibility
KMA requested to
abide by court's verdict
Petition
challenges MP's eligibility
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 15 January
2001
Nana Kwaku Arhin of Jema in the
Kintampo District on Wednesday filed a petition at the Sunyani High Court
challenging the eligibility of Mr Yaw Effah-Baafi as the Member of Parliament
for the area.
The petition, filed on his behalf
by Mr Kwame Twumasi-Awuah, a Sunyani-based lawyer on January 3 this year, avers
that Mr Effah-Baafi was a civil servant at the time of his election on December
7 last year and was therefore unqualified to stand.
"The Electoral Commission
erred by accepting Mr Effah-Baafi's nomination to contest the election because
at the time he filed it, he was a civil servant and was therefore ineligible to
participate in the election."
The Electoral Commissioner and his
Brong-Ahafo Regional and Kintampo District officers have been mentioned as the
other respondents.
The petition said until his
election, Mr Effah-Baafi was an employee of the Ministry of Food and
Agriculture at Kintampo, and continued to receive his salary after filing his
nomination papers.
It said Mr Effah-Baafi's
resignation letter though written on September 26, last year, was officially
presented on December 15, several days after the December 7 election.
The petition prayed the court for
an order declaring that Mr Effah-Baafi, who stood on the ticket of the NDC, was
ineligible to contest the parliamentary election.
It is also requesting the court to
grant an order of perpetual injunction to restrain Mr Effah-Baafi from holding
himself out as the MP for the area.
Additionally the petition is
asking the court "to declare his election null and void and another order
declaring the candidate with the second highest votes as the elected MP for the
area".
The petition has listed some
officials at the district office of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the
Kintampo District Treasury Officer and the district Office of the Accountant
General's Department as witnesses.
GRi…/
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KMA requested to
abide by court's verdict
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 15 January
2001
Solicitors of the Kejetia Traders
Association popularly called "Mighty 18" have requested the Kumasi
Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), to abide by the judgement of a Kumasi High Court
on the allocation of stores at North Suntreso, delivered on November 2, 1999.
The solicitors of Minka-Premo and
Company, in a letter on behalf of the association said: " We wrote to you
in connection with the case involving Kejetia Traders Association and KMA and
Anor and wish to reiterate our call on you to abide by the judgement of the
court".
The Kejetia Traders Association,
filed a writ of summons, together with a statement of claim seeking an order of
specific performance of oral contract between it and the KMA in respect of the
North Suntreso market stores.
The writ also sought to restrain
the KMA from distributing the stores to any other people apart from members of
the association.
The writ said alternatively, KMA
should refund an amount of 44.2 million cedis, they spent on the project.
The court presided over by Mr
Justice G.M. Quaye, in the judgement said evidence showed that the Kejetia
Traders Association and the KMA entered into an oral contract for the
construction of market stores at North Suntreso.
It therefore ordered that the
association was entitled to primary consideration in the allocation of the
stores.
The court also directed that
members of the association who paid less than the full amount for the
construction of the stores be given time to complete payment or should have
their deposits refunded if they are not able meet the dead line.
However, the KMA has since the
order of the High Court refused to comply with the order compelling the
association to write through its solicitors to remind it of the judgement.
GRi…/
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