NPP to file motion against Justice Atuguba

The legal team of the opposition New Patriotic Party intends filing a formal application to demand that Justice William Atuguba recuses himself from the nine-member Supreme Court Bench empanelled by the Chief Justice to hear the party’s petition over the 2012 election results.

According to some members of the NPP, the recent appointment of Dr. Raymond Atuguba by the President as his Executive Secretary makes Justice Atuguba’s presence on the Bench morally improper because he is cousins with Raymond Atuguba.

XYZ News has learnt that the legal team of the NPP raised the objection when it was granted an in-camera request at the court on Thursday as part of the hearing of the ruling NDC’s JOINDER application regarding NPP’s petition.

NPP General Secretary Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie later told Journalists after the adjournment of the case that the party will file a formal motion to ensure Justice Atuguba recuses himself from the Bench.

“We believe that in his own interest he ought to recuse himself from sitting on this matter. A formal motion will come and once a formal motion comes we would know the nature of the problem that we have.

Mr. Owusu Afriyie popularly known as Sir John added that “his demeanour showed that he knew that something was wrong with his sitting on the matter and that he must go”

But the legal team of the ruling NDC says it finds the objections of the NPP curious.

The team’s Spokesperson Nana Ato Dadzie later confirmed to XYZ News that the NPP had indeed raised earlier objections to Justice Atuguba’s membership on the Bench prior to today’s court hearing.