The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Gifty Agyei-Addo is expected to deliver its ruling on an application filed by Kofi Koranteng, a disqualified Independent Presidential Candidate of the 2020 general elections on November 30.
The applicant together with four others have been disqualified on cases that border on allegations of forgery of signatures and manufacturing of endorsees
In court on Thursday and while challenging the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC), Kofi Koraneng said the EC gave him a window of hope to resubmit a corrected nominations form only to be disqualified.
According to him, issues regarding fraud and forgery are criminal in nature and therefore the onus lies on the applicant to clear himself.
He argued through his lawyer, Daniyal Abdul-Karim, that he was given the opportunity to resubmit beyond the October 9 deadline after his attention was drawn to the anomalies.
But the EC legal team led by Justine Amenuvor categorically denied that assertion by the applicant and said the EC never gave the applicant any hope of opportunity.
According to him, the regulations required all applicants to file and if any anomalies are detected, they are corrected within the stipulated period.
He told the court that nomination for all candidates was opened on October 5 and closed on October 9. He said the applicant’s claim that he resubmitted his form on October 14 puts him out of time.
Justice Agyei-Addo after hearing arguments from the parties adjourned the matter to Monday, November 30, 2020 for determination.
Kofi Koranteng was disqualified on cases that border on allegations of forgery of signatures and manufacturing of endorsees.
Source: Murtala Inusah || Kasapafmonline.com