Judgment day for Ken Agyapong

A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, will tomorrow, October 14, 2020, rule on the application by Kennedy Ohene Agyapong challenging the jurisdiction of the High Court to hear a contempt case against him.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central has been summoned for contempt after he allegedly insulted a Justice of the High Court with unprintable words on a live television programme.

On Tuesday when the apex court was sitting for the first time in the new legal year, it adjourned the case to Wednesday to allow the Attorney General’s Department to respond to the application filed by the MP.

The panel is presided over by Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie with Justices Yaw Appau, Gabriel Pwamang, Issifu Omoro Tanko Ampadu and Yonny Kulendi.

The outspoken MP wants the Supreme Court to stop the High Court from hearing the contempt case and also quash the order of summons for him to appear before the court on the basis that the particular court (Land Court 12) that summoned him had no jurisdiction to do so.

Different court

Per his affidavit in support to the court, Mr Agyapong avers that his comments were not against Justice Amos Wuntah Wuni of Land Court 12 but was rather against a different judge in another matter at Labour Court 2, for which he said he had duly apologised.

“The words uttered which I deem uncomplimentary and I have since apologised were not directed at the Court, presided over by His Lordship Amos Wuntah Wuni, the Court is not seized with jurisdiction to order the applicant to appear and to answer why he should not be severely punished for contempt of court,” the MP said in his affidavit in support.

Source: kasapafmonline.com