Court Slaps 13 With GH¢50,000 Fine Over Defied Injunction

 

Thirteen members of a family have been fined GH¢50,000 each by the Asante Mampong High Court for contempt of court after allegedly disregarding an injunction and proceeding with an Islamic marriage ceremony involving a woman whose marriage was already the subject of a legal dispute.

The court, presided over by Justice William Boampong, handed down the ruling after a two-year legal battle between businessman Alhaji Abass, popularly known as “Alhaji Abass Transport,” and the family of his fourth wife, Hajia Alima Issah.

The contempt proceedings arose after the family allegedly ignored both traditional and judicial directives aimed at preventing the marriage from taking place pending the resolution of the dispute.

Court documents indicate that Hajia Alima Issah, who shares five children with Alhaji Abass, left her matrimonial home and went to stay with her parents. About a month later, she reportedly decided to marry another man despite her existing marriage to Alhaji Abass.

Following reports of the planned marriage, Alhaji Abass first sought intervention from the traditional court of the Asantehemaa at Manhyia. The traditional authority reportedly issued an order restraining the woman’s family from facilitating any marriage ceremony until the matter had been settled.

The family, however, allegedly failed to comply with the directive.

Alhaji Abass subsequently filed an application at the Asante Mampong High Court, which granted an injunction against the intended marriage. The order was reportedly served on members of the family by court officials.

Despite being duly served, the family allegedly supervised and conducted the Islamic marriage ceremony between Hajia Alima Issah and her new husband.

Their actions prompted the court to cite 13 family members for contempt on grounds that they had wilfully disobeyed a lawful court order.

In delivering judgment, Justice Boampong found all 13 respondents guilty and imposed a fine of GH¢50,000 on each of them. The court further ruled that any respondent who fails to pay the fine would serve 30 days in prison pending the hearing of the substantive case.

Three of the respondents were absent when the ruling was delivered. Consequently, the court issued bench warrants for their arrest.

The convicted family members were subsequently taken into custody and were reportedly being held behind bars as efforts were made to raise the fines required to secure their release.

The substantive case, which centres on the legality of the disputed marriage and related matters, is expected to continue before the court.

FROM David Afum, Asante Mampong

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