Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Nana Oye Lithur has refuted claims by Victoria Hammah that she influenced the verdict of the 2012 election petition.

On a secretly recorded tape Ms. Hammah, who was dismissed as deputy Communications Minister, alleged that prior to the landmark ruling, Mrs Oye Lithur met the Supreme Court justices, suggesting she might have influenced their ruling.

But the Children and Social Protection Minister has vehemently denied the allegation in a statement dated November 9, 2013.

"The allegation is untrue and preposterous," she rebutted.

"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," she maintained.

BELOW IS THE STATEMENT

PRESS STATEMENT BY HONOURABLE NANA OYE LITHUR ON ELECTION PETITION

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

Minister

Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection

Date 9th November, 2013.