Supreme Court Throws Out Mills Campaign Suit

A panel of nine Supreme Court judges has dismissed an application filed by the Centre for Constitutional Order, praying the court to restrain a member of the Council of State, J.H. Owusu-Acheampong from holding himself out as the campaign manager of President Mills. President Mills named Mr. Owusu-Acheampong - who represents the Brong Ahafo Region on the Council of State - as head of his campaign team after he (President Mills) picked his nomination forms and officially declared his intention to seek a second term in office. However, the head of the Centre for Constitutional Order, Dennis Ofosu-Appiah said he foresees a problem if other members of the Council take a cue from the President�s action. Dennis Ofosu-Appiah sued President Mills and wanted the Supreme Court to declare Mr. Owusu-Acheampong�s appointment null and void. However, the Supreme Court ruled otherwise, saying there is no express law that bars Mr. Acheampong from engaging in partisan politics although he is a member of the Council of State. Mr Ofosu-Appiah told Citi News his outfit was satisfied with the ruling and would therefore not seek a review. �We appreciate the ruling; the ruling actually dismissed the application on the basis that when it comes to the political rights of others, for the court to restrain any person from exercising his political right, there must be an express law to that effect which we could not point out. �It all along had been our argument that the letter of the Constitution does not bar any sitting member of the Council of State from engaging in active partisan politics. But we see a spirit behind the Constitution that does so and so it was in the basis of this that we went to the Supreme Court to seek interpretation. �We cannot even go for review because nine judges actually sat on it and it was also unanimous so we are not going for review�. Justices William Atuguba, Sophia Akuffo, Darteh-Baah, John Ansah, Sophia Adinyira, Rose Owusu, Sulley Gbedegbey, B.T Aryeetey and Akoto Bamfo ruled on the suit.