Kofi Adams Returns To Court

The legal rumpus between the suspended Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kofi Adams, and party executives over his suspension seems to be far from over as he returned to the Accra Fast Track High Court hearing the matter yesterday. Mr Adams told the court that efforts to have the matter resolved as directed by the court were unsuccessful. His counsel, Stanley Aholu, told the court presided over by Justice S.K. Asiedu that they had exhausted all the avenues available to them to try and have an amicable settlement, adding that no progress had been made on the issue. However, counsel did not rule out the possibility of a settlement and informed the court that they had withdrawn an earlier appeal against his decision to order both parties to settle the case amicably. Justice Asiedu stated that the appeal was still pending due to the fact that the Court of Appeal had not received any notice of its withdrawal and said the letter to the High Court should have rather been addressed to the Court of Appeal. Samuel Cudjoe, counsel for the NDC, said he was not aware that the appeal had been withdrawn but said the party was ready to welcome any body because it was peace loving and still very interested in settling the matter. According to him, the party would not stand in the way of Mr. Adams, who is also the spokesperson for former President Rawlings, if he wanted to go ahead and move his application because that would be �an exercise in futility�. The judge then asked Cudjoe if he was genuine when he said he wanted reconciliation, and he answered in the affirmative. He said their doors were still open for a settlement. The trial judge adjourned the matter to June 27, 2012 for the appeal to be withdrawn and for them to attempt to settle the matter and said, �You all belong to the same big family�, adding that �left to me alone, the matter should be settled�. It would be recalled that the judge, at the last hearing, made an order for Kofi Adams to try and settle whatever problem he had with the party. This was after the trial judge was to give a summary judgment in a legal rumpus between Mr. Adams and the party over its decision to relieve him of his position without due process. The trial judge stated that he would �make an order� for both parties to have the matter settled amicably and went ahead to order them to settle the case. Mr. Adams is contesting his suspension and has asked the court to declare it null and void. The applicant was suspended after the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NDC said a male voice on an audio recording believed to be his was heard allegedly saying he was planning to ensure that President Atta Mills did not win the 2012 elections. The voice was alleged to have said: �Atta Mills is not a person going to be president of this country after he finishes with first term. Whatever it takes for him to go to opposition we�ll do it.� He was said to have communicated it to Gabby Otchere-Darko of the NPP campaign team. Mr Adams denied the voice was his and took the issue to court, seeking a declaration that his suspension from the �defendant�s party (NDC) is a penal measure imposed by the defendant without due process and contrary to the rules of natural justice� among others. He is also seeking a declaration that �the suspension was void, inoperative and of no effect� and general damages as well as costs. NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia had said after the NEC meeting that his deputy, Kofi Adams�s membership of the party, had been revoked and that he was a free agent who could look for a new party to join.