Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Agyapong
The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Agyapong, at the hearing of his contempt case by the Accra High Court on Friday, 25 September 2020, pleaded not guilty to the charges of contempt levelled against him.
This followed the playing of an audiotape on which the lawmaker is heard attacking a judge presiding over a case involving a land dispute, to which Mr Agyapong is party.
Mr Agyapong is alleged to have scandalised and brought the court’s name into disrepute on a show on Net2 TV.
The case has since been adjourned to Monday, 28 September 2020.
The presiding judge, on Friday, 18 September 2020, indicated that the High Court will proceed with the hearing despite a writ of certiorari filed at the Supreme Court by the MP.
Mr Agyapong has asked the Supreme Court to stop the contempt proceedings against him by the High Court.
Lawyers for the MP filed a judicial review application at the apex court on Thursday, barely 24 hours after he was supposed to appear before the High Court, to explain why he should not be punished for allegedly describing a judge as “stupid”.
The MP wants the Supreme Court to prohibit 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.
In his affidavit in support, the MP 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 [for], 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.