Election Petition: Supreme Court cites Dominic Ayine for contempt over his “predetermined agenda” comment
The Supreme Court has instituted contempt proceedings against, Dr. Dominic Ayine, a member of the legal team of the petitioner in the ongoing election 2020 petition for comments he allegedly made against the Apex Court.
Dr. Ayine is reported to have accused the seven-member Supreme Court panel adjudicating the petition, of having a “predetermined agenda” to rule against the petitioner (John Dramani Mahama) in his action challenging the constitutionality of the re-election of President Akufo-Addo for a second term in office.
During the said press briefing, Dr. Ayine said, “It is not true that there is only one issue that needs to be determined in this matter. I am surprised that the Supreme Court itself has set down five key issues to be determined is now reducing the issue to one, which is whether the extent to which the evidence that we have led shows that no one got more than 50% of the votes in accordance with Article 63 of the Constitution”.
Dr. Ayine added: “We have made it abundantly clear in the petition that there were a number of infractions, we are contesting even the constitutionality of the declaration that was made. We are saying that she violated Article 23 because she is an administrative body, we have also said the exercise of discretion was contrary to Article 296 of the Constitution.
“And to reduce the petition to a single-issue petition is rather unfortunate and smack of a predetermined agenda to rule against the petition in this matter.”
He added, “We think that the court by this decision has not done the people of this country a great service, in the sense that Ghanaians are interested in knowing the truth. The justices today have not given us a reason to believe that they want the people of this country to know the truth about what happened…why figures kept changing from 9 December” Dr. Dominic Ayine further stated while he addressed the press at the forecourt of the Supreme Court.
The seven-member Supreme Court panel presided over by Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, which also includes Justices Yaw Appaw, Samuel Marful-Sau, Nene Amegatcher, Nii Ashie Kotey, Mariama Owusu, and Gertrude Torkonoo, is expected to sit Thursday the 18th of February 2021 to continue with the trial of the 2020 election petition.
It is likely that Dr. Ayine will be served with the process today (18 February 2021) and subsequently he will be called to answer to the Court why he should not be found to be in contempt of the Court for his comments allegedly made against the Supreme Court.
