Throw out NPP's case if… - Segbefia

Former Deputy Chief of Staff, Alex Segbefia says the Supreme Court must throw out the election petition case if it turns out that the petitioners did not tender in evidence 11,842 election results slips (pinks sheets) as they have always insisted in court.

Mr Segbefia told Radio XYZ on Saturday June 14 that: “…If there’s a difference of 2000 pink sheets which you think you filed, but actually was not filed, but you have calculated them in your additions, it means that your whole case - if we are going to go by the rigid position you have given, or you are trying to impose on others - …is a zero and based on that, it should be thrown out, or can be thrown out for you to go and bring your case properly afresh”.

He said his analysis was based on interim media reports that suggest the pink sheets audited by international accounting firm KPMG, fell far short of the 11,842 touted in court persistently by the petitioners, based upon which they are praying the court to reverse the results of the 2012 presidential poll.

“…The interim report as it stands… is that...[the pinks sheets audited] is in the region of about 9000, which is almost a 2000 difference from the 11,000 that they are talking about”, Mr Segbefia noted.

He observed that the auditing being done by KPMG is very critical to the entire case and wondered how seven alleged alien boxes stuffed with pink sheets found their way into the court’s registry to be audited with 24 others, which apparently had always been in the custody of the court.

The Daily Guide Newspaper reported a few weeks ago that 13,900 pink sheets were counted by KPMG after its audit.

The respondents demanded an explanation as to how the number far exceeded the 11,842 the petitioners insist they tendered.

Their demand for clarification followed an earlier threat to boycott the auditing on suspicions that the contentious seven alien ballot boxes were smuggled into the court’s registry by the petitioners to shore up the numbers to make up for the 2000 deficit.

The court later ruled that KPMG should use the President of the Bench’s pack of pink sheets to cross-check those audited at the registry.

Speaking to Journalists after Wednesday’s hearing, Nana Ato Dadzie said: “…We all do know, both sides, we all do know that the KPMG figures are very clear; [they] are coming out which will show that, yes, our position is fairly correct that we’ve not been given more than 9000 and that in any case, what has been given out to the Judges couldn’t probably have been more than 10,000 or whatever it is”.

The Court has adjourned sittings for a week to allow KPMG reconcile the numbers and present its final report before the case continues.

The petitioners - the opposition New Patriotic Party’s 2012 Flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and National Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey- are praying the court to nullify over four million votes, which they claim were rigged in favour of President Mahama.

Mr. Mahama, the Electoral Commission and the governing National Democratic Congress are the respondents in the case.