Kofi Jumah challenges Police evidence in court

Former Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Maxwell Kofi Jumah, who is standing trial for allegedly destroying electoral materials, has challenged Police evidence incriminating him in the case.

The Police had tendered in evidence the torn Electoral Commission's photo-album for the Asokwa constituency in the New Patriotic Party parliamentary primaries, which prosecutors say was destroyed by Mr. Jumah.

But at the court's sitting Thursday, Appiah Twumasi Ankrah, lawyer for Mr. Jumah challenged the Police evidence arguing that there was nothing on the said evidence showing it was the accused person who destroyed it.

Mr. Jumah is being tried for destroying electoral materials while his campaign manager, Richie Oscar is also in court for resisting arrest. The two are currently on bail.

Cross-examining Police Detective Emmanuel Kyei Sarpong on Thursday, Mr. Jumah's lawyer contended that there were no traces of fingerprints on the torn electoral photo album to prove that he was indeed the one who destroyed it.

Mr. Ankrah also dismissed the assertion by prosecutors that the photo album belonged to the Electoral Commission, noting that the candidates in the election were billed for all the materials used for the primaries, hence cannot be said to belong to the Commission.

But the witness maintained that Mr. Jumah was the one who tore the album at the polling station.

Eventually, the lawyer backed-down on his objection and allowed the evidence to be tendered in for "what it is worth," having made his case that since Mr. Jumah's fingerprints are not on the album, he cannot be the one who destroyed it.

In his evidence before the court, Detective Kyei Sarpong, told the court he was stationed at the venue where the primaries was taking place on June 13 to provide security, and that Mr. Jumah tore the photo album being used by the EC for the election.

The detective, who is the second prosecution witness in the case, he was the one who picked the torn leaflets from the ground and handed them to the officials at the electoral commission at the venue.

The Circuit Court presided over by Mrs. Efua Adu-Amankwah has adjourned the case to September 24 for continuation.