Contempt Charge Against NPP Chair, MP Thrown Out

A Sekondi High Court, presided over by Justice Ababio, has thrown out the contempt charge brought against the Western Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Owusu Ankomah and the MP for Kwesimintsim, Joe-Badu Ansah. The Court has meanwhile adjourned the case to January 20, 2014, where the judge would adduce reasons for dismissing the case. It would be recalled that some five executives of the Kwesimintsim NPP filed contempt application against Nana Owusu Ankomah and Joe Baidoe Ansah, praying the court to commit them for contempt of court. The five had argued that the NPP regional Chairman, Nana Owusu-Ankomah and the MP for Kwesimintsim, Joe Badu Ansah, failed to comply with a Court order restraining them from holding constituency election on December 14th, 2013. It is based on this that the five brought the contempt application against the defendants. The five, who filed the contempt application were; Francis Ignatius Mills, George Fynn Thompson, Joseph Martin, Frank Nana Bordoh and Rose Osei Bonsu who are all executive members of the NPP in the constituency. When the case was first called, Counsel for the respondents, Ekow Amua Sekyi prayed the Court to throw out the application because his clients did not commit any contempt of Court. Amua-Sekyi argued that per the constitution of the NPP, it is the electoral committee which organizes election and that his clients did not arrogate to themselves the power of organizing election for them to have disobeyed a Court order forbidding them from holding elections. Counsel for the respondent argued further that the motion filed on behalf of the applicants was unlawful. This is because the Counsel for the applicants, Stephen Kesse, currently had no practicing license and thus could not issue any process in Court. Mr. Amua-Sekyi quoted the legal profession Rules LI 613 and a recent Supreme Court decision-Republic vrs High Court Fast Track Division, Accra, Ex parte Reiss & Co. to buttress his point that Counsel for the applicants had no business issuing Court processes without a valid current practicing license. Responding, Mr. Kesse said he had paid for the license but the Bar Association had failed to issue him with same. The Presiding Judge, Justice P. Ababio adjourned proceedings for 30 minutes and then came back with his ruling which upheld Mr. Amua-Sekyi�s objection. According to the judge whole contempt proceedings filed by Counsel for the applicants was invalid.