The Electoral Commission of Ghana has denied claims that it is attempting to evade the wit of summons of an 18-year-old citing the commission for contempt of court.
Ayitah Precious, a resident of Otsebleku near Afienya in the Greater Accra Region had earlier sued the commission to restrain it from conducting the ongoing limited voters’ registration exercise.
The plaintiff avers that the decision by the EC to conduct the exercise solely at the various district offices has the tendency to disenfranchise many first-time voters including herself due to the difficulty in accessing these offices.
Despite the interlocutory injunction granted by the court, the EC went ahead to begin the exercise.
Following the action of the EC to proceed with the exercise despite the pending court case, the legal team of the applicant has further cited the commission for contempt of court.
However, according to the lawyers for the applicant, efforts to serve the commission have proved futile.
Nii Kpakpo Addo, lead counsel for the plaintiff explains that the bailiff of the court and lawyer on two different occasions have been denied entry into the EC premise to serve the contempt papers.
But speaking on JoyNews, Deputy Chairperson and Director of Electoral Services, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe debunked the allegations.
According to the deputy chairperson, nobody has been barred from entering the EC’s office as claimed by the legal team of the plaintiff.
“I’m not aware that anybody has been barred from coming to the office. I have not heard of any bailiff entering the office who has been prevented. I don’t think anybody will give the advice or instruction that nobody should come to the office. I entered the office without any hindrance and I left without any hindrance. It has not come to my attention that anybody has been prevented from coming to the office.
Asked whether he is aware of any receipt of court summons, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe noted that,” those things will go to the Legal Department if they come and I wouldn’t know.
