[ 2015-07-27 ]

Kumasi High Court jails four ex-chiefs for contempt
A Kumasi High Court has sentenced four
ex-sub-chiefs in the Kumawu Traditional Area to
various prison terms for contempt in connection
with a chieftaincy dispute in the area.

Former Akwamuhene, Nana Akwasi Baffoe, also known
as Yaw Adom, will spend 14 days while each of the
other three goes in for seven days.

They are Nana Okyere Krapa, ex-Akyempimhene, Nana
Sarfo Agyekum, one time Aduanahene and Nana Akwasi
Okyere Darko Fordjuor, ex-Nsumankwaahene.

Their conviction follows an ex-parte motion filed
by Kumawuhemaa, Nana Serwah Amponsah, over a Daily
Graphic publication attributed to them on March 18
and 27 respectively.

The High Court in an earlier sitting found
contents of the publication misrepresenting and
ordered the four to retract the full 2-page
publication with equal prominence.

Part of the retraction read, “we regretfully
state that we did not intend to impugn the
integrity of the court in anyway and regret the
said publication and profusely apologise to the
court, the judge and the entire justice
administration for any embarrassment, directly,
caused and any damage or wrong impression the
offending publication has caused in the mind of
the public”.

Plaintiff’s lawyer, Rahman Mujeed, argued the
defendants failed to respect the court’s
directive by giving less prominence to the
retraction only on a quarter of a page.

He indicated while the earlier publication was
signed by all four defendants, the retraction was
signed only by ex-Akwamuhene, Nana Akwasi Baffoe,
for the others.

Mr. Mujeed explained the actions of the defendants
amounted to disrespect for the court.

“The court is a collective power of all of us,
and it should be respected. And that any attempt
to disrespect it should be resisted fearlessly,”
he explained.

Lawyer for defendants, Joseph Sam, pleaded for
leniency for his clients but it was turned down.

Presiding judge, Justice Jacob Boon, slapped them
with a total 35 days prison sentence saying “it
will serve as a deterrent to others”.

The four ex-chiefs, each in black mourning cloth,
were whisked away by police to begin their jail
term.

After a long chieftaincy dispute which lasted for
over seven years, Dr. Yaw Sarfo was installed as
Kumawuhene under the stool name Barima Sarfo
Tweneboa Kodua on October 30, 2014.

He eventually swore the oath of allegiance to the
Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei II at the Manhyia Palace
on November 3, last year.

But some kingmakers, including the Aduanahene Nana
Sarfo Agyekum, Akwamuhene Nana Akwasi Baffoe and
the Akyempimhene Nana Okyere Krapah from the
Ananaya clan insisted Dr. Sarfo was an imposition
and would therefore not accept him.

The Kumawuhene, acting on the orders of the
Asantehene is said to have destooled the four
sub-chiefs.

The four are in court challenging the enstoolment
of Dr. Yaw Sarfo as the Akwamuhene.

Source - MyjoyOnline

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