Court Slaps Cost On Two NDC MPs...

A Cape-coast high court hearing two separate election petition case against NDC MP for Mfantsiman Aquinas Quansah and MP for Twifo Lower Hemang Foster Andoh has slapped costs on them and the electoral commission for failing to adhere to the courts directives. The two petitioners are Asamoah Boateng, for Mfantsiman constituency and Lawrence Agyin Sam for Twifo Lower hemang constituency. The court after hearing arguments from counsel for petitioners, Egbert Faibille slapped a thousand cedis cost each on the Electoral commission, and awarded cost of eight hundred Ghana cedis against Aquinas Quansah and Honorable Foster Andoh. The facts to the case are that after having failed within the two week court stipulated time to respond to the petition, counsel for petitioners lawyer Egbert Faiblille applied to the court to set the petition for trail on March 14th. Moments after the application was served on the two MPs and the electoral commission they quickly applied for extension of time, whilst asking for further and better particulars from the petitioners and had their respective motions date fixed for 11th march 3 days clear of the 14th march hearing. On the 11th the court did not sit due to reasons beyond its control. However on the 14th when the case was called the electoral commission was not represented by its officials or counsel, whilst lawyer for Aquinas Quansah and Foster Andoh was also not present with the excuse that he was appearing at the Supreme Court. This generated heated debate from Lawyer Egbert Faibille who asked for cost for the behavior of the two respondents and their lawyers in the case. Having adjourned the hearing to the 19th of March 2013 the judge then awarded cost of thousand Ghana cedis in each case against the electoral commission and eight hundred Ghana cedis against the two NDC MPs.Meanwhile the 19th of March will see the court hearing the application from the petitioners and also the one from the two NDC MPs for further and better particulars.