Court ready for judgement in Adamu Dramani’s case

The Fast Track High Court in Accra on Friday ordered prosecution to file responses before setting a date for judgement in the case involving Mr. Adamu Dramani, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central in his dual citizenship case.

The court, presided over by Mr. Justice Charles Quist, said “by May 24, when the prosecution files its response, we will set a date for judgement”.

However, one of the counsel for Dramani, Mr. Egbert Faibille prayed the court saying, “My Lord we may respond and so the court should hold on, and if there is no response, then the court can fix the date for judgement”. Subsequently, the matter was adjourned to May 24, 2012.

Mr. Ashong Tai represented the Attorney General.

The MP was, on July 31, 2009, brought to court charged with nine counts relating to his nationality, perjury, forgery of passport, election fraud and deceiving public officers to be elected as an MP, but he was exonerated on six of those charges on July 8, 2010.

He is currently facing three charges of false declaration of office, perjury and deceiving a public officer.

Mr. Sumaila Biebel, a cattle dealer in March 2009, filed a suit at the High Court challenging the eligibility of the MP on the grounds that the MP held both British and Burkinabe passports and the High Court, in a default judgment on July 15, 2009, ordered the MP to vacate his seat.

Dissatisfied with the High Court’s decision, counsel for the MP appealed against the decision, resulting in the Court of Appeal declaring in a unanimous decision that Mr. Biebel should have gone by an electoral petition, since the matter bordered on electoral dispute.

Under the law, all matters relating to electoral disputes are to be heard as electoral petitions and those petitions are to be heard 21 days after the results of the elections have been declared.

Aggrieved by the Court of Appeal’s decision, Mr. Biebel went to the Supreme Court, which decided to take evidence from him.

He has since testified and has been cross-examined by Mr. Faibille.

The defence filed a submission of ‘no case’ after Mr. Biebel had completed his evidence-in-chief and had been cross-examined.

According to the defence, Mr. Biebel had failed to fully comply with the rules of evidence and for that reason there was no evidence before the Supreme Court.

The defence said the standards for submitting exhibits had not been met by Mr. Biebel and for that reason the court should strike out his case.

Mr. Biebel is also the complainant in the criminal action against the MP at the Fast Track High Court.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has fixed May 23, 2012 as the date to rule on the submission of ‘no case’ in the civil matter brought against the MP.

The court fixed the date after parties in the matter had filed their written addresses and informed it (the court) they did not have additional issues to file.**