Chairman Wontumi fails to appear in court again ; Narrowly misses bench warrant

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias Chairman Wontumi, has once again absented himself from court in a contempt case brought in the face of a substituted service served on the respondents.

The court, presided over by His Lordship Justice Amedaher Senyo sitting as a vacation judge, has, therefore, adjourned the case to August 31, 2020, after he warned the respondents that appearing before the court in a contempt case was compulsory.

The position of the court collaborates an earlier admonition by His Lordship Justice Charles Wilson – that non-representation in court in contempt cases, seen as quasi-criminal, was in itself contemptuous.

The then trial judge noted that even though the Electoral Commission (EC), first respondent, was absolved in the application for contempt, it ought to appear in court until discharged by the honourable court.

But for what Lawyer Annis Moghtar Mohayideen, counsel for applicants, termed as cogent reasons advanced by the learned counsel on the other side for not appearing in court, Wontumi’s absence in court yesterday would have attracted a bench warrant.

The adjournment gave a sigh of relief to the Subin Member of Parliament (MP), who arrived at the court premises in the company of an armed police escort, which number increased heavily during the court session.

The respondents, the Electoral Commission (EC), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Member of Parliament for Subin Eugene Boakye Antwi, Patrick Acheampong, Ashanti Regional Director of Research and Election, the Subin Constituency Chairman Michael Adusei Bonsu, and his Secretary, Akuamoah Boateng, are facing contempt of the honourable  court .

They had initially evaded personal service of the motion on notice seeking an order for committal for contempt until a substituted service had been served on them.

The court was thus compelled to adjourn the case to August 31, 2020, to enable Wontumi, second respondent, join his colleague respondents for justice to take its course.

The 51 applicants are seeking a declaration that the June 20 NPP polls, by which the sitting MP claims to have been re-elected by 485 votes, was illegal, unlawful, and wrongful, and should be declared null and void.

Mr. Ebenezer Donkor stood for the first respondent Electoral Commission, represented in court  by  Lawyer Emmanuel Addai, while  the Subin MP, together with Michael Adusei Bonsu and his Secretary, Akuamoah Boateng, third, fifth and sixth  respondents, were represented by Lawyer Kwasi Africa of O&A Legal Consult.

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