Jean Mensa and EC playing hide and seek with court bailiffs

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission and one of her deputies, Bossman Asare have mastered a game of hide and seek which they currently have been playing with court bailiffs for days. Jean Mensa and Bossman Asare have successfully evaded being served court notices by the lawyers of Ayitah Precious.

According to lawyers for Precious, the court bailiffs have been denied entry into the Commission’s offices to serve the legal documents. Security personnel stationed at the office have accordingly been instructed to not allow anyone into the premises until next week. This caused tension at the Commission’s office on Thursday as the bailiffs have for the third time this week failed to get access to the premises to perform their duties.

Ayitah Precious, a resident of Otsebleku near Afienya in the Greater Accra Region filed a suit at the Tema High Court and an interlocutory injunction at the court aiming to stop the EC from undertaking its limited voter registration exercise at the district offices of the Commission.

Precious lives approximately 44.3 kilometres from the district office of the EC in Prampram. Based on that she said travelling to the venue to participate in the exercise is not possible due to financial and logistical difficulties.

However, the EC went ahead with its preparation for the limited voter registration exercise which took off on September 11, 2023. Based on that, lawyers for Ayitah Precious are citing the EC boss and her deputy for contempt of court.

Speaking to JoyNews, one of the lawyers of Ayitah Precious said, “They are not admitting anybody into the EC promises. That is the message we have been getting. They have told us that if we want to serve anybody we have to call the person personally, for the person to either come out to come and receive the process.” 

“The Electoral Commission is a public place. Under what circumstance does Madam Jean Mensa believe that she has the audacity and the right to prevent court processes or court bailiffs from entering the public institution to effects service,” Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, lead counsel for Ayitah Precious questioned.