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Opinions of Saturday, 22 June 2013

Columnist: Bonsu, Akua

Mahama and Woyome – Birds of a “Lithur” Feather?

From a layman’s point of view, lawyers defend three categories of clients – the clearly innocent wrongfully accused; the clearly guilty but willing to pay huge sums of money to buy justice; and those falling between this continuum. Alfred Agbesi Woyome, as the nine to zero Supreme Court verdict showed, fell in the second category. And despite his yeoman’s effort, Tony Lithur could not save the National Thief. Could Tony Lithur be defending another “Woyome”?

The similarity between the Woyome case and the Supreme Court presidential petition could not be more striking. In one, money was stolen in broad daylight from unsuspecting Ghanaians with the help of government appointees at the ministries of Justice and Finance in whom the Ghanaian people had laid their trust; in the other, a verdict was stolen in broad daylight from unsuspecting Ghanaians with the help of government appointees at the Electoral Commission in whom the Ghanaian people had laid their trust.

Even more striking is the coincidence that both thieves ended up selecting the same attorney to defend them. that Lithur was willing to accept the paid responsibility of defending Woyome in a case so glaringly tilted against him and his client is testimony to the professional integrity defficiency with which he comes into the defense of another indefensible client in John Mahama. If the second client was any smarter, he would figure out in a hurry that Mr. Lithur is in it purely for the money, and that he will lose the petition case in as disgraceful a fashion as he did in the Woyome case.

As is the case with the Woyome case, winning the case is one thing; effecting the court verdict is suspected to be another thing entirely. But the rule of law must, and will work in both instances. If Woyome fails to pay back the taxpayers' money, he faces jail term; if Mahama fails to vacate the seat after the pronouncement of the Supreme Court verdict, trouble looms. In early May, President Barack Obama sent a CIA delegation of three to Mahama to convey America's expectation of a peaceful transition should the SC verdict comes in favor of the petitioners.

What a wonderful world it would be to see Woyome in jail and John dramani Mahama as a civilian and the true winner of the December 2012 election running the country. Keep hope alive y'all.