Nana Oye Lithur now speaks

In response to leak tape Vikileaks/Victoria's secrets as it has come to be known in Ghana,the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Nana Oye Lithur has described as “untrue and preposterous” comments by the former Deputy Minister of Communication Victoria Hammah which suggested she met with the justices of the Supreme Court before they ruled on the election petition.

In a statement signed by the minister stated that “for the record, I do not have any sort of relationship with any of the judges who sat on the Petition, which would form the basis of any discussion or meeting with any of them in relation to it. For the avoidance of doubt, I have never met, communicated or had any discussion with any judge with a view to influencing the outcome of the presidential election petition.”

Ms. Victoria Hammah had alleged in a taped conversation that Nana Oye Lithur had influenced judges who sat on the recent presidential election petition but the gender minister says the suggestion that she would participate in compromising the Judiciary is "utterly outrageous."

She added that her “professional life as a human rights lawyer and activist has been built around due process and insistence on the integrity of the Judiciary. I believe that is the surest way of protecting the rights I have fought for most of my working life."

Below is the full text of the statement signed by the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Nana Oye Lithur


My attention has been drawn to the headlines of the Friday November 8, 2013 edition of the Daily Guide newspaper which reads, “Victoria Hammah Drops Bomb; “Oye Lithur Saw Judges Before Verdict”.

In the accompanying story, it was alleged that Ms. Victoria Hammah, the former Deputy Minister of Communication had said in a taped conversation that I had contacted and influenced judges who sat on the recent presidential election petition. Various media houses have repeated the allegation.

The allegation is untrue and preposterous. For the record, I do not have any sort of relationship with any of the judges who sat on the Petition, which would form the basis of any discussion or meeting with any of them in relation to it.

For the avoidance of doubt, I have never met, communicated or had any discussion with any judge with a view to influencing the outcome of the presidential election petition.

Anybody who has had the slightest acquaintance with me would have been astonished by the suggestion that I would attempt to subvert the course of justice by interfering with the judicial process.

My professional life as a human rights lawyer and activist has been built around due process and insistence on the integrity of the Judiciary. I believe that is the surest way of protecting the rights I have fought for most of my working life.

The suggestion therefore that I would participate in compromising the Judiciary is utterly outrageous to me.

Signed: Honourable Nana Oye Lithur

Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection

PRESS STATEMENT BY HONOURABLE NANA OYE LITHUR ON ELECTION PETITION