Sebastian R. Freiku
16 November 2009
Kumasi — The national chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Peter Mac Manu and the regional chairman of the party, Mr. Yaw Amankwa have been cited for contempt, and are to appear before a Kumasi High court on November 25 2009, to explain their continuous disregard and disobedience of the Orders of the Court of Appeal.
Other respondents cited for contempt per an ex-parte motion of notice by Nana Kofi Owusu are Ben Oduro Frimpong, Joe Kofi Adu, Jacob Asante, Yaw Adjei Anhwere, J. K. Kwapong, Mike Amoah Awuku and Peter Asamaoh.
The Appeal Court, on February 19th 2009, upheld an application by Nana Kofi Owusu, declaring him as the substantive chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the Atwima Nwabiagya constituency.
Mr. Justice Eric Kwasi Piesare, the presiding judge, directed that the appellants, ten in number, continue to hold office as NPP Executive officers to exercise the powers of that office and to perform all legitimate political functions of NPP in the constituency until the final determination of the appeal pending before it.
In his affidavit in support of the motion, Nana Kofi Owusu said in spite of the orders of the Appeal Court, the respondents have violated the said orders by running the affairs of the constituency citing the organization of the polling station elections as recent as October 4, 2009. He stated that they respondents have also refused to hand over properties of the party and monies to the executives.
The applicant Indicated that in spite of the orders of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Mac Manu has refused to dissolve a three-man Interim Committee he appointed to manage the affairs of the NPP in the constituency, and that the Regional chairman, Mr. Amankwa has also kept monies belonging to the constituency and refusing to hand them over to the applicant and his executives.
Nana Kofi Owusu indicated that due to the gross disobedience of the orders of the court of Appeal, the respondents should be committed into prison for bringing the administration of justice into disrepute. By the orders of the Appeal Court, the applicant believes that the conduct of Mr. Benito Owusu Bio, the Member of Parliament for Atwima Nwabiagya, is questionable, because the primary which elected him should not have been held at all in the first place.
The position of Nana Kofi Owusu and his executives; namely - Nana Agyeman Johnson, Gyawu Mensah Bonsu, Salifu Musah, Bernard Boateng, Amadu K. Issah, Douglas Owusu, Samuel Mensah and Nicholas Ameyaw, is premised on a motion on notice for joinder filed before a High Court in Kumasi on May 9, 2008.
It sought an order to restrain the defendants from organizing the parliamentary primary on May 11 2008, which elected Mr. Owusu Bio as the NPP candidate for the 2008 elections, until the motion to suspend the court orders, which had then been appealed against, is heard on its merits. The said motion also sought an order of the court to join the NPP to the suit as 9th defendant and co-defendants of the Regional Executives of the party.
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