The Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, Reverend Victor Kusi Boateng’s contempt case against the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu in the Volta Region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has been adjourned until further notice.
The sine die adjournment is to allow the service to be done properly on the MP.
Ablakwa was earlier served on Friday February 3 at the forecourt of Metro TV.
This was after Mr. Ablakwa had told the court that a fake court bailiff had served him the writ.
The writ was to restrain him from further making pronouncements on the clergyman’s case of double identity since the matter was before the Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Rev. Kusi Boateng filed a motion against Ablakwa, praying the court to commit Mr Ablakwa to prison for his conduct which he described as disrespectful to the bench following the opposition lawmaker kicking of a writ meant to be served on him by a court bailiff on Friday, February 3.
He had given the excuse that he was on his way to Parliament when the bailiff approached him at the forecourt of Accra-based Metro TV to be served with Rev Kusi Boateng’s writ.
The writ was to restrain the lawmaker from further making pronouncements on the clergyman’s case of double identity because the matter was before the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
The motion is to draw the attention of the court over a possible contempt case against the MP.
“When the Bailiff of this Honourable Court reminded the Respondent that Parliament was in recess, the Respondent then claimed that he was on his way to a meeting of one of the committees of Parliament, an allegation which has since turned out to be a falsehood told by the Respondent merely to evade service of the court processes on him.
“I am informed by my Counsel and verily believe same to be true that the immunities available to members of Parliament from being served personally with court processes can only be invoked when that member of Parliament is either on his way to or way from Parliamentary proceedings or activities; an immunity which the Respondent could not have invoked on the 3rd of February 2023 because the Parliament of Ghana was on recess at that time.
“. . .dissatisfied with the excuses that the Respondent was giving to evade service of Exhibits VKB1 and VKB2, the Court Officer proceeded to discharge his statutory duty of serving court processes personally on the Respondent by leaving the processes as close as possible to the Respondent.”
It was after this that the MP kicked the documents on the floor and drove off.
Rev Kusi Boateng filed the suit after the action by the lawmaker, praying that: “I am informed by my Counsel and verily believe same to be true that this Honourable Court has the power to commit the Respondent to prison for his conduct to protect the whole administration of justice and serve as a deterrent to other persons.”
However, Mr Ablakwa subsequently reacted to the suit and said that he was not afraid to be imprisoned.
He said “Let the cowardly forces of tyranny be told that I am not one to be frightened with imprisonment.
“I am ever ready to be a political prisoner of conscience than to be forced and compromised to a behind the scene deal with the corrosive enemies of the Republic,” he tweeted.
He however appeared in court today with bunch of gurus from his political party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) like Fifi Kwetey, General Secretary of the party, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, former Communications Minister, Emmanuel Armah Buah, Ellembele MP among others.
By Vincent Kubi