Owusu-Ankomah, 2 Others Face Contempt Charge

Five former Kwesimintsim constituency executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have filed contempt charges at a Sekondi High Court against the Western Regional Chairman of the party, Nana Owusu Ankomah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, Joe Baidoe Ansah and the constituency chairman, Ransford Odame, for denyin g them the right to vote in the just ended constituency congress. The plaintiffs: are Francis Ignatius Mills, George Fynn Thompson, Joseph Martin, Frank Nana Bordoh and Rose Osei Bonsu. According to the plaintiffs, the defendants deliberately defied a Court order forbidden the party from holding the constituency election. According to the applicants, as a result of the conduct of the defendants to conduct the election, despite being retrained from doing so by a Court of competent jurisdiction, they have been disenfranchised from exercising their right to vote and be voted for, as provided for under the party�s (NPP) constitution. The applicants argued that per the Circuit Court order, served on them, the defendants were restrained from carrying out the constituency election scheduled for 14th December, 2013. They further argued that the interlocutory order was duly served on the respondents on the 13th of December, 2013. Surprisingly, Messrs. Joe Badu Ansah (1st defendant), Nana Owusu-Ankomah (2nd defendant) and Ransford Odame (3rd defendant) defied the order and went ahead to conduct the election in the full glare of the public. The Applicants further argued that when it became apparent that the interlocutory injunction was being disobeyed, they solicited the assistance of the Kwesimintsim Police who responded to the call to enforce the orders of the Court. The Police came to the scene of the election to stop the disobedience being shown to the Court by the 1st, 2nd and the 3rd respondents, but the law enforcement agency prevented them from doing their work. According to the applicants, the conduct of the three respondents was calculated to bring the administration of the Court into disrepute and as such should be committed for contempt.