Election Petition: I was too hot for Addison to handle in court – Asiedu Nketia brags

• Posted on June 7, 2013
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and witness for both first and third respondents in the ongoing Election Petition, Johnson Asiedu Nketia seems to be blowing his own horn as far as his performance in court is concerned’.

General Mosquito as he is popularly called said he was ‘too hot’ for counsel for the petitioners, Philip Addison to handle.

The NDC scribe who boasts of 34 years of experience in elections said that Philip Addison exposed his “ignorance” of the electoral laws by asking him [Asiedu Nketia] “ridiculous” questions in the witness box.

He was speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday.

There was drama during General Mosquito’s cross-examination when a recorded interview of his, relating to biometric verification was played in court.

This became necessary after he denied ever endorsing the ‘no biometric verification no vote’ mantra espoused by the petitioners when queried by Philip Addison in court.

With the consent of the court, a recording of the radio interview was played to General Mosquito in which he said results from polling stations where people voted without biometric verification should be cancelled.

Asiedu Nketia identified the voice on the tape as his, claiming he had repeated everything he had said on the tape in court.

While the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described his performance as abysmal and contradictory, Johnson Asiedu Nketia on Ekosii Sen said the tape recording rather proved him to be an honest man.

General Mosquito indicated that his performance in court separated the grain from the chaff.

According to him, Philip Addison as a “novice” in election procedure is doing the petitioners more harm than good because his [Mosquito’s] testimony has crumbled the petitioners’ case.

General Mosquito added that his apt answers and explanations of how elections are run in the country “killed” the momentum of counsel for the petitioners.

He observed that Philip Addison left a lot of doubt in the minds of those in the courtroom including the Judges about his knowledge of electoral laws.

Mr Nketia alleged that the petitioners lawyer used only one and half days to cross-examine him to prevent an embarrassment in court.

General Mosquito said even the NPP gave him thumps up for the manner in which he carried himself in court.

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