Kevin Taylor leaving the court
The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday set aside a five-and-a-half-year-old warrant issued for the arrest of controversial social media commentator, Kevin Taylor, who had said some derogatory things about a High Court judge and the Judiciary.
The court, in a 4:1 majority decision by a five-member panel, presided over by Justice Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu, held that the warrant was issued without due process.
Justices Amadu, Senyo Dzamefe, Richard Adjei-Frimpong and Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh formed the majority while Justice Ernest Gaewu dissented.
An Accra High Court in Accra, on January 16, 2020, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Kevin Ekow Taylor, who was then domiciled in the United States.
The warrant came at the back of certain derogatory statements he made on social media which, according to the court, had put the justice system and the person of the judge in disrepute.
The commentary which was titled ‘The Men in Red, Tainted Judiciary,’ had claimed that a High Court judge was purposely promoted to the Court of Appeal and was being used as a conduit by then New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to prosecute some former NDC government officials.
The social media commentator alleged that the judge was deliberately twisting the law as far as proceedings in that case was concerned, to favour the ruling NPP administration.
Kevin Taylor also claimed that the judge had become too powerful and too rich within a short time, adding that he has put up a mansion in Accra that has become the talk of town in the country.
He, therefore, called on then Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah to investigate the judge else he will release audio tapes in his custody bordering on meetings the Court of Appeal judge had had with high ranking officials of the Akufo-Addo-led administration.
After five and a half years, Kevin Taylor filed an application before the Supreme Court claiming that the warrant for his arrest was issued without due process as he had not been given a hearing before it was issued.
He appeared before the Supreme Court yesterday in a blue suit and black nose mask, as his lawyer, Peter Okudzeto moved the motion to set aside the arrest warrant, which was granted.
It was not clear how he managed to enter the country and avoided arrest despite the pendency of the arrest — rightly issued or not, as it would have been valid at the time of his entry into the country.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak