Contempt Summons Issued To Dominic Ayine Is Not Justiciable – LINSOD

A pressure group of Lawyers, Lawyers in Search of Democracy (LINSOD) has responded to a contempt summons that has been issued to former Deputy Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, by the Supreme Court.

The group which says it will hold a press conference on Monday to explore the issue says that that summons is not justiciable.

The contempt summons is “unacceptable and not justiciable,” LINSOD said in a statement signed by Lawyer Chris Ackumey, spokesperson for LINSOD.

Dr. Ayine was reportedly cited for contempt by the seven-member panel hearing the 2020 election petition in reaction to his observation that there appears to be a pre-determined agenda to rule against former President Mahama’s petition in the case challenging the December 9 Presidential election declaration of Akufo-Addo as the winner of the 2020 election.

“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 having 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,” Ayini said.

 “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 as 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.”

His take was in reaction to the Supreme Court’s controversial refusal to allow EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa, who declared Akufo-Addo winner on basis of what is seen as very dubious results, to be cross-examined.