Tommy Okine Fingered! �For Exercising Illegitimate Authority As Gbese Mantse

Long after his name was expunged from the National House of Chiefs register as Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayi Bonte, known in private life as Thomas Okine, is allegedly still going round taking monies from people; especially developers who have acquired landed properties on the Gbese Stool Lands, as payment and royalties to the Stool, insiders have told this paper. It would be recall that, the National House of Chiefs on July 16th, 2014 officially removed Thomas Okine�s (Nii Ayi Bonte) name from the National Register of Chiefs based on a Supreme Court Judgment ruling which went in favour of Nii Okaidja III, as the truly and only Gbese Mantse. The former Hearts of Oak guru was approved by the National House of Chiefs on 20th March 2013, as Gbese divisional chief of the people of Gbese when there was already a Gbese Mantse who had not been ostracized, died or overthrown. However, his position was contested for years, until a Supreme Court ruling which nullified his claims as the legitimate Gbese Mantse, resulting in the decision by the National House of Chiefs to take out his name from the register. Their action therefore makes Nii Ayi Bonte lack the capacity to call himself Gbese Mantse. Although he has in sued the National House of Chiefs for taking a decision without informing and hearing from him first, and has acquired a ruling, ordering the National House of Chiefs to reinstate his name in the register, the order had been stayed and an appeal filed forthwith. It has also been revealed that Thomas Okine, although his name had been removed from the Register of Chiefs continues to sign documents in the capacity as Gbese Mantse. A letter sighted by this paper revealed how Thomas Okine, after losing the title as Gbese Mantse, allegedly maneuvered to cause confusion in the Gbese communities, threatening and intimidating people who were developing parcels of the Gbese Stool lands which they had acquired. The said letter which was written on the 20th of November, 2014, was a summon from his (Thomas Okine) office, requesting the immediate halt of an ongoing construction project on a particular land, believed to belong to the Gbese Stool. Although, many people may argue that Thomas Okine could summon anybody before him on issues regarding the Gbese Stool and its lands, his action comes at a time when his name has been removed from the National Register of Chiefs. This raises serious questions as to which capacity he was exercising and whether such authority does not amount to Contempt of Court. The letter, dated 20 Novermber 2014 with reference no. GM/LO8/PD/14, described as an illegality, was signed by "Nii Okaidjah Ayi-Bonte," who is believed to be his Secretary. Meanwhile, Nii Okaidjah III, the man Thomas Okine has been litigating against for the past eight (8) years, until a Supreme Court consolidated all Gbese cases on 16th January 2014, and gave a 5-0 judgement after which was later confirmed in a 7-0 Review on the 26th February 2014, is now the legitimate Gbese Mantse, the paper gathered. The Supreme Court's 5-0 ruling declared the Judgement by the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs (GARHC) which was dated 17th February 2003 as a "nullity" and "same have been given without jurisdiction." This GARHC judgement was considered the "king-ping" upon which Thomas Okine and his lawyer, Adumoa Bossman stood on granting him that authority as Gbese Mantse, whilst Nii Okaidja III was in office as the legitimate Gbese Mantse. This was followed by the subsequent removal of his name from the register of chiefs. Some top and experienced lawyers who spoke to this paper averred that Thomas Okine must cease calling himself Gbese Mantse until his name is brought back onto the Register of Chiefs and that anything short of that would amount to Contempt since the order for his reinstatement has been stayed and appealed against. The lawyers said peace and progress can only be achieved in this democratic society, if the laws of the land are obeyed and adhered to. "We all know that the Supreme Court is the highest court of the land. In my view, even if his name is brought back onto the register of chiefs, it will be removed again based on the Supreme Court's Judgement," another lawyer argued.