Court orders Affo Toffey to produce evidence of Ivorian citizenship renunciation
NDC calls on supporters to be calm amidst issuance of bench warrant for Jomoro MP’s arrest
The Western Regional Branch of the National Democratic Congress says it is surprised by the decision of a Sekondi High Court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Dorcas Affo Toffey.
The High Court on Monday, December 7, 2021, issued the warrant following the failure of the MP to show up in court for the hearing of a case in which her eligibility to contest the 2020 election is being challenged by one Emmanuel Kwofie.
In an interview with Citi News monitored by GhanaWeb, the Western Regional Secretary of the NDC, Kirk Mensah said the defense counsel for the embattled MP had served notice of their absence from court and are thus surprised by the development.
He, however, indicated that the Jomoro MP will show up in court on Thursday, December 9, 2021, when the case is recalled.
“The party is extremely surprised about yesterday’s [Monday] ruling. Prior to the sitting yesterday [Monday], the lawyer for our MP, Mr. Edudzi Tamakloe served notice to the court that because of other official engagements in the Court of Appeal, he wouldn’t be available in court. He thus wrote an official letter pleading that the case is adjourned, and the attached documents prove it.” “We were surprised that despite the lawyer’s appeal which he attached letters to approve, the Judge ignored all the documents and made the judgment in issuing the warrant,” he stated.
The regional secretary in the interview assured supporters of the NDC that the party has things under control and thus called for calm within the ranks of the opposition party.
The qualification of Madam Affo Toffey to represent the people of Jomoro in Parliament is being challenged in a case in which she has been sued for allegedly possessing dual citizenship prior to her contesting in the 2020 election.
A contempt case was filed against the MP by one Joshua Emuah Kwofie, a resident of Nuba-Mpataba in the Jomoro Constituency when Madam Toffey reportedly failed to deposit with the court registrar documents supporting the renunciation of her alleged Ivorian citizenship as ordered by the Sekondi High Court.
Although the MP filed for a stay of execution of the High Court's order, the court dismissed the application in July this year.
MP for Jomoro, Dorcas Affo Toffey