General News of Friday, 17 June 2022
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2022-06-17Jomoro MP did not admit in court she holds multiple citizenships – NDC
Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Dorcas Affo-Toffey
Eligibility of Jomoro MP challenged
Jomoro MP mounts witness box in the ongoing trial
NDC describes report about Jomoro MP as deceptive
The opposition National Democratic Congress has denied reports that its Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, admitted that she holds a Ghanaian and Ivorian Citizenship under cross-examination.
Joynews, on Thursday, June 17, 2022, reported the MP, who
Read full article.is the defendant in a suit challenging her eligibility to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections, made the admission of being a citizen of two countries during a sitting of the Sekondi High Court.
However, a release signed by the NDC's Western Regional Director of Communication tagged the report as deceptive lies from the ruling New Patriotic Party and their surrogates.
According to the party, the MP held an Ivorian passport but not at the time when she filed to contest in the 2020 elections.
"The lawyer for the Petitioner, Mr Agyekum, in his cross-examination, has so far failed to prove that the MP has any documents which prove that she was an Ivorian and American Citizen as at the time she filed her nomination to contest.
"The petitioner on a wild goose chase wasted over an hour and a half without making any meaningful, substantial argument linked to the claims but rather focused on the place of birth and date of birth which had no bearing on the issue in court, the release signed by Richard Kirk-Mensah read in part.
The petitioner in the case, Joshua Emuah Kofie, filed the application challenging the eligibility of the MP to contest as a representative of the Jomoro Constituency.
According to the applicant, the MP at the time of filing her nomination held multiple nationalities, including American and Ivorian citizenships, which contravenes the 1992 Constitution.
The MP has, however, submitted that she never held American citizenship, adding that she renounced her Ivorian citizenship.
Read the full release below:
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS
WESTERN REGION COMMUNICATION BUREAU
PRESS RELEASE*
14/06/22
*IGNORE THE LIES AND DECEPTIONS FROM THE NPP SPIN DOCTORS AND THEIR SURROGATES.*
Stories in circulation about what transpired in the Sekondi High Court is just a wicked propaganda by the NPP to deceive their supporters after an abysmal performance in court today.
We all remember the reasons the NPP through their Petitioner Mr Joshua Emuah Kofie went to court.
They claim the Jomoro MP Hon. Dorcas Affo-Toffey as at the time she filed her nomination to contest as a member of Parliament was a citizen of Ivory Coast and it is clearly stated in the witness' statement of the petitioner.
They went ahead to allege that the MP also has a United States of America citizenship and they had prove of such documents to back their claim.
The lawyer for the Petitioner Mr Agyekum, in his cross examination has so far failed to proof that the MP has any documents which proves that she was an Ivorian and American Citizen as at the time she filed her nomination to contest .
The petitioner on a wild goose chase wasted over an hour and half without making any meaningful substantial argument linked to the claims but rather focused on the place of birth and date birth which had no bearing on the issue in court.
The MP admitted that she had used an Ivorian passport before and never a holder of an Ivorian passport as at the time she filed for nomination.
She recounted that she was 16yrs when her maternal family members brought up the issue of a student exchange program in 1991 in USA.
The Ivorian family members prepared her travel documents in 1991 even though she had completed Nkroful Sec School.
And that is how she ended up traveling to the USA through Ivory Coast.
Hence the acquisition of the Ivorian nationality.
The NPP knew they had lost the case when the petitioner in an open court, testified that he did not have any evidence to support their claim that the Hon. Member of Parliament has any valid Ivorian citizenship as at the time of filing of her nomination. They have therefore run to the media to give their supporters false hope.
The National Democratic Congress fully believes that the matter in court lacks merit and at the end of the trial the MP will continue to serve the good people of Jomoro.
SIGNED
RICHARD KIRK-MENSAH
