Addison withdraws extract of polling station register

Counsel for the Petitioners in the Election Petition hearing has withdrawn an extract of the polling station register, after respondents raised doubts about its authenticity.

The extract is a photo register meant to demonstrate that some registrations had the same image but different names and ages – an irregularity.

But the register had pictures of voters not tallying in the arrangement of the original register. The extract of pages five and six is not as it is in the pages of the original.

Witness for the Electoral Commission Dr. Afari-Gyan says he has no idea where the document was extracted from because their database did not show it as the same.

Tsatsu Tsikata, counsel for the ruling NDC believes that the document is “lacking in authenticity”. He says elements of the extract were questioned and have been “completely shattered”. He would however not object to the original being tendered in evidence.

Addison insists that it is incorporated in the witness’ original document.

The E.C, he says, has admitted to the names in the extract and the soft copy of the original register was given to the New Patriotic Party by the E.C.

Judge Baffoe-Bonnie interjects and says what Addison is tendering is “definitely not an extract”. He says an extract as an English word ought to be the same as the original.

Another Judge says, it is not fair for counsel for the Petitioners to provide an extract to the E.C without giving him the advantage of referring to the original.

He says it is possible for an original picture of a person to be superimposed with a different picture.

Addison insists it is an extract from the document given to them by the E.C.

“Respectfully I beg to differ on this occasion but I will withdraw my document,” he offers.

The respondents preferred that the panel of judges give a ruling on the matter. But the presiding judge says withdrawing a document has been allowed before.

In a unanimous ruling the judges allowed the withdrawal of the document.