Judicial service at Asokwa
A court official orders silence as a presiding judge at the Asokwa Circuit Court walks hurriedly to take his seat.
Neatly and smartly dressed, it was His Honour Fred Obikyere whose court will hear the case involving Razak Koampa Avoliya, the Suame Constituency youth organizer of the opposition NDC who is facing the court for inciting political violence.
Thursday’s sitting saw a packed and tense courtroom as of 11 am. Observers, including journalists and some known voices of the opposition party, were anxiously waiting for the case to be heard, but that did not happen.
Instead, the court in its own wisdom spent time on a raft of cases, including stealing and that was when the whole strange encounter occurred.
As usual of the court, defence lawyers and prosecutors made arguments and settled on an adjourned date.
Whiles having an engagement with one of the lawyers before making his verdict, the judge suddenly paused, raised his hand and called out a man wearing a suit from the first seat on his extreme right after a low and indistinct continuous sound caught his attention.
“What were you saying?” the judge queried. “Please walk out of my court”. “Walk out!” he ordered as he turned his anger on the man who was later identified as a lawyer.
Knowing very well that their colleague’s action amounts to contempt of court, lawyers in the courtroom had to beg for mercy. But the judge immediately suspended sitting and returned to his chamber minutes after the heated confrontation.
“This is serious”, an observer said. “This really shows we don’t joke in this man’s court. He is just a no-nonsense man”.
Judge returns to sit on Mosquito’s case
The furious judge returned after spending nearly eight minutes in his chamber. The case of the Republic Vrs Razak Koampa Avoliya was called.
Koampa, aka ‘Mosquito’, turned himself in after he was declared wanted by the police after he was captured in a viral video threatening mayhem and inciting violence ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Prosecuting ACP Kofi Blagodzi after reading the facts of the matter prayed the court to remand the Suame NDC constituency executive into police custody to assist in investigations.
His defence lawyers vehemently opposed the submission and applied for bail for their client.
“The suspect willingly turned himself in [after he was declared wanted]”, Razak’s lawyer Evans Amankwah said. “Clearly this is a law-abiding citizen who is ready to avail himself anytime the court needs him. He also has men of substance including myself to stand as surety for him as part of bail conditions…”
By court
The bail application was however refused by the judge and consequently remanded the suspect into police custody. The court cited among others the substance of the case and national security implications.
The case has been adjourned to February 14. His plea was not taken.
Supporters go wild
The court’s order did not sit well with the supporters of the NDC. The unhappy crowd chanted party and patriotic songs to vent their anger.
“We will sleep here until he is released”, one of the supporters said. “Even known faces within the NPP have made similar statements have been left off the hook, we shall see what will happen in 2024".