The Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro in the Western Region, Dorcas Toffey, who has been accused of holding both Ivorian and Ghanaian citizenship at the time she filed her nomination form to contest the parliamentary election in 2020, has told a Sekondi High Court, presided over by Justice Dr. Richmond Osei Hwere, that she once held an Ivorian passport.
Mr. Bright Okyere-Adjekum, Counsel for the petitioner, had asked the MP, who is the first respondent in case: “Have you ever had an Ivorian passport?” to which she responded: “Yes my Lord.”
Counsel further asked her: “How many Ivorian passports have you had?” She answered: “My Lord, two Ivorian passports, but the first was [an] original and the second a renewal.”
The following is what transpired in court between Counsel Bright Okyere-Adjekum, MP Dorcas Toffey and her Counsel, Edudzi Tamakloe.
Bright: You have served in Parliament for one and [a] half years?
Dorcas: Yes my Lord.
Bright: And, at least, you appreciate the magnitude of oath taking. Is that correct?
Dorcas: Yes my Lord
Bright: Now, you go by various names other than Dorcas …?
Dorcas: Yes my Lord.
Bright: You are also known as Dorcas T… Is that not so?
Dorcas: Yes my Lord.
Bright: You are also referred to as Dorcas Prempeh. Not so?
Dorcas: No my Lord.
Bright: You are also referred to as Dorcas E. Grear. Not so?
Dorcas: No my Lord.
Bright: Apart from the names that you have accepted, what other names are you known [by]?
Dorcas: My lord, I don’t have any other name than Dorcas Toffey and Grear. Grear I got by marriage; my husband’s last name?
Bright: What is your father’s name?
Dorcas: My father’s name is Stephen Ackah Toffey.
Bright: What is your mother’s name?
Dorcas: Madam Mary Afodananyi.
Bright: Now, per chance, do you believe in the concept of reincarnation?
Dorcas: No my Lord.
Bright: Have you ever died and resurrected?
Dorcas: No my lord.
Bright: You have a series of Ivorian passports. No so?
Dorcas: No my Lord.
Bright: Have you ever had an Ivorian passport?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: How many Ivorian passports have you had?
Dorcas: My lord, two Ivorian passports, but the first one was the original one, and the second the renewal.
Bright: When was the one you referred to as second one issued?
Dorcas: My Lord, in 1991.
Bright: And when did it expire?
Dorcas: My lord, I don’t remember.
Bright: Has the date expired?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: And upon this expiration you obtained a new one?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: In 2012, you were issued another Ivorian passport?
Dorcas: I am not sure.
Bright: Look at [the] passport attached to [the] petitioner’s Exhibit E2. That is [an] Ivorian passport issued [on] 4th January 2012?
Dorcas: Yes my Lord.
Bright: When that passport expired in 2017, you applied for a new Ivorian passport. Not so?
Dorcas: No my Lord.
Bright: What happened to this passport that you have identified attached to Exhibit D2?
Dorcas: My lord, it got missing.
Bright: When it got missing, what did you do?
Dorcas: I reapplied.
Bright: And you were issued anther Ivorian passport on 19th January 2017?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: And Exhibit E5 attach to petitioner’s witness statement is the passport. Not so?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: What happened to that passport, Exhibit E5?
Dorcas: My lord, I never got it.
Bright: You never got what?
Dorcas: The passport.
Bright: If I understand you, you mean you never got the passport as shown in Exhibit E5?
Objection by 1st respondent’s Counsel.
Godwin Edudzi: My lord, the objection is that the question in the petitioner’s own witness statement clearly shows that the 1st respondent reported the particular passport and is a document they have attached to witness statement, Exhibit DA. So my lord, with respect, the passport was declared missing based on a search conducted by my learned friend. The impression being created is like tricking the witness.
OBJECTION RESPONSE
Bright questioned the legal basis the objection was grounded in arguing objection needed to be grounded in law.
Here, the court allowed the question after it overruled the objection.
Dorcas: My lord that was the one that got missing.
Bright: In essence, you have the misfortune of losing two Ivorian passports. Not so?
Dorcas: My lord, that is not correct.
Bright: How many times have you lost [an] Ivorian passport?
Dorcas: My lord, once.
Bright: When Exhibit E5 went missing, you applied for a new Ivorian passport?
Dorcas: I reported it missing and reapplied, but never got another one.
Bright: By the way, passport shown in Exhibit E5 was… on 18th January 2020. Not so?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: Exhibit E6,E7 and EA all appear on page 17, and document showing your reporting of the loss of the passport E5 and your application for a new Ivorian passport. Not so?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: Now look at Exhibit E1, at page 16. Is there any information there that you disagree with?
Dorcas: My lord I didn’t hear the question.
Bright: Is there any information there that is incorrect?
Dorcas: No.
Bright: Look at page 8. Is there any information there that is incorrect?
Dorcas: No my lord.
Bright: Look at Exhibit E5 page 16. Is there any information there that is incorrect?
Dorcas: No my Lord.
Bright: Exhibit D7, at page 18, is there any information there that is incorrect?
Dorcas: No my Lord.
Bright: So I will be right to say before this court all information about you relating to the acquisition and issuance to you of Ivorian passport are correct. Not so?
Dorcas: Yes my Lord, but…
Bright: You also hold a series of Ghanaian passports. How many Ghanaian passports have you had to date?
Dorcas: Two my lord, one… and the other [a] diplomatic passport.
Bright: When did you apply for the Ghana passport?
Dorcas: October 2018.
Bright: If I understand, the very first time you acquired [a] Ghana passport was in 2018?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: Look at Exhibit C in page 4. Can you identify the document to the court?
Dorcas: It is a copy of my Ghana passport.
Bright: That is Ghana passport shown in Exhibit C was issued in 2013. Not so?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: Tell the court, is there anything on Exhibit C that is incorrect?
Dorcas: …
Bright: When you look at Exhibit C and your passport attached to Exhibit D2, which is one of your Ivorian passports and Exhibit E5 which is your 2017 Ivorian passport, can you tell the court whether there are any differences between your Ivorian passport and the Ghana passport?
Dorcas: Yes my Lord.
Bright: Tell the court the differences.
Dorcas: Date of birth.
Bright: What is it about your date of birth?
Dorcas: My lord, there are differences.
Bright: By Ivorian records you were born 4th May 1971. Not so?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: By Ghana records you were born 4th May 1972. Not so?
Dorcas: My lord that is incorrect.
Bright: Your date of birth is the only difference seen in the comparison of [the] Ghana and Ivorian passports?
Dorcas: No my lord.
Bright: Can you explain?
Witness begins to explain the circumstances that led to the differences in the date as captured.
Bright: I am putting it to you that that is an afterthought?
Dorcas: I disagree.
Bright: In 1972, you were given birth at Accra at Korle Bu Hospital. I am putting it to you?
Docas: No my lord.
Bright: As part of your document you submitted in 2013 was a Ghana birth certificate. Not so?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: In that birth certificate, your date of birth, as stated, was 4th May 1972. Not so?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: Your place of birth, as stated, is Korle Bu. Not so?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: In fact, in your application for all your Ghana passports, you attest that you are not a citizen of any country. Not so?
Dorcas: Yes my lord.
Bright: Now you remember filing an affidavit in opposition on 28th May 2021 in response to the petitioner’s motion for production of documents. You recall that?
Dorcas: My lord, I don’t remember.
The cross examination adjourned to the 18th, 19th and 20th July, 2022 for continuation.
