Judge of Fury: �If a farmer at Akontombra had done this...�

Justice G.E.K. Daketse, sitting on the contempt case yesterday hit the ceiling when young lawyer, James Agalga, representing Amua Sekyi and Kwame Asamani received the brunt of the judge�s boiling tongue, when for the third time running the duo � Ekow Amua-Sekyi and Kwame Asamani have treated with contempt an order issued by the Accra Circuit Court 9, for them to appear before it. The Justice, who was embarrassed and angry at the conduct of the two accused lawyers minced no words when he said in the open court that if a farmer at Akontombra does this, he would have been dragged to the court. He further stated that: We of the fraternity must not create the impression that we are operating an animal farm style of laws. The case, the republic versus Kwame Asamani and Ekow Amua-Sekyi, who are in court for allegedly altering court document, forgery and defrauding among others, was slated for yesterday, Thursday September 17, 2009, after two unsuccessful attempts by the same court to press upon the supposed lawyers to give it the due respect by appearing before it. That was case number one and it was only Mr James Agalga, defence counsel for the accused persons who was present, and from the prosecution, a State Attorney represented the Attorney-General�s Office. According to the state attorney, the Attorney� General�s office just received a report which the office requested from the police for its study, and that the office must be given up to the 22nd of October, 2009 by which time the office would have completed the studies and would be in a position to come out with further directives. The request from the Attorney-General�s office was complied with, and as such, the case was subsequently adjourned to that date. Few minutes later, former Chief of Staff, Nana Ato Dadzie, representing Kwame Poku and Joe Debrah, legal counsel for Sam Etwo arrived in the courtroom. Nana Ato Dadzie, whose presence in the courtroom mitigated an otherwise stiffer bail condition in another case, got on his feet and explained to the court that heavy traffic caused his lateness. The judge announced to the former Chief of Staff the message from the State Attorney, and Joe Debrah got up and reminded the court about the absence of the two lawyers from the court. Judge Daketse, who had a terrible time reading, due to poor visibility (the fluorescent lights were off for days without being attended to by the judicial service), was noticeably enraged and vented his anger, while issuing further orders to James Agalga for his clients Amua Sekyi and Asamani to make it a point to be in court on 22nd October 2009.