Akufo-Addo, Bawumia may face criminal charges - NDC

A member of the NDC communications team has warned that the three petitioners in the ongoing electoral dispute at the Supreme Court could face criminal charges at the end of the case.

In the opinion of Samuel Nartey George, the petitioners appear to have had problems with the compilation and submission of documents to the court, possibly forging some to buttress their case.

The issue could revolve around the swearing of affidavits before a Commissioner of Oaths by the petitioners, particularly the second petitioner and lead witness to the case, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

Samuel George sounded the caution while contributing to a panel discussion on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show of Tuesday April 30, 2013.

Three citizens, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey – NPP 2012 flagbearer, running mate and party chairman respectively – are challenging the declaration of John Dramani Mahama as winner of the December 2012 presidential election.

The Electoral Commission was joined to the petition, while the NDC successfully applied to join the suit as an interested party because John Mahama stood on its ticket.

Dr Bawumia, second petitioner and lead witness, is being cross examined on the documents submitted as evidence of violations committed during the elections by lawyers for the respondents, made of Tony Lithur, James Quarshie-Idun and Tsatsu Tsikata.

The lawyers have sought to punch holes in the evidence of the petitioners, particularly on a number of pink sheets, in a bid to cast doubt on the credibility of the witness and the affidavit evidence submitted by the petitioners.

Speaking on the ongoing petition, Samuel Nartey George said there appeared to be some doubt about the documents submitted by Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey to the court.

“Mark it somewhere that Sam George warned, if we are not careful, some people might have further criminal cases to answer, because if you look at the trend the cross examination is going, it looks like there have been forgery and manipulation of documentation.

“And when you bring forged documents and swear under oath before the Supreme Court of Ghana, it’s a criminal offence. And that is where we are going in this case.

“Is it possible that somebody may have forged the seal of a Commissioner of Oath?”

He was careful to state however, that the charge of uttering false documents or forgery had not yet been proven in court but the possibility existed.