Court dismisses Sam George’s case against EC; fines him GH¢6,000

A case filed against the Electoral Commission by the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George, has been dismissed by the Tema High Court.

Sam George had filed an application in court seeking to restrain the EC from hosting a supposed workshop on the new voters’ register at the Escape Hotel in Prampram.

His lawyers; Godwin Dzah and Justice Srem Sai, argued that the EC would be breaching the ban against public and social gatherings if it were allowed to host the said meeting.

He succeeded in securing an interim injunction to restrain the EC from hosting the said event which was to take place from 24th to 29th April 2020.

Sam George in an interview with citinewsroom.com said his lawyers were expected to be in court today, Thursday, May 28, 2020, to discontinue the case but could not get there on time because they had some cases to attend to in Accra.

EC’s lawyers accusations

However, the EC’s lawyers who were present at the court accused Sam George and his counsel of failing to comply with the provisions of Order 55, rule 6 (2 and 3) of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2004 (CI 47), for failing to file a Statement of Case to allow the EC to respond to same.

The EC’s lawyers reportedly added that the applicants filed the instant case on the 24th of April 2020 and as at today the 28th of May 2020, they have not filed their Statement of Case, to that end, the case ought to be struck out.

The Tema High Court presided over by Justice Eugene Nyante Nyadu, agreed with them, struck out the case and awarded a cost of GHS6,000 against the Ningo Prampram legislator.

We’ll apply for the judgement to be set aside

Meanwhile, Sam George in an interview with citinewsroom.com said he has instructed his lawyers to apply to the court to set aside the judgement.

“The basis on which we went to court was no longer existent because the EC was no longer holding the said meeting. So the decision was that we will go to court today, May 28, and notify the court that we wanted to discontinue the case. By the time my lawyers got to Tema, I heard the judge had ruled on the matter. My lawyers are going to apply to the court to set aside the judgement [and if possible review the fine],” he added.

Source: citinewsroom.com