The High Court in Accra has cleared Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the NDC's North Tongu representative, of all charges of contempt of court and released him from those charges.
The General Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, filed a contempt petition and claimed that the MP had slandered him. The High Court, presided over by Justice Charles Gyamfi Dankwa, dismissed the petition today.
The court subsequently imposed costs against Rev Boateng in favor of the MP in the amount of GHC10,000 after dismissing the contempt application.
Following the filing of the defamation lawsuit, which was in connection with some accusations made against him regarding the National Cathedral project, Rev Boateng issued a contempt citation for Mr. Ablakwa, accusing the MP of kicking court papers that had been delivered to him by the court bailiff.
However, the court determined in its decision to reject the contempt application that the aforementioned bailiff, Elis Armah, who served the MP with court documents, was not a recognized member of the judicial service.
This action, according to the court, was against the Chief Justice's order that court papers be delivered by authorized bailiffs of the judicial service.
The court once more determined that MPs exercising parliamentary duties could not be served with court documents.
According to the court, the petitioner was required to determine if Mr. Ablakwa was engaged in parliamentary work on the day the summons was delivered to him and, if so, to adjust the proper method of service.
This action, according to the court, was against the Chief Justice's order that court papers be delivered by authorized bailiffs of the judicial service.
Justice Dankwa further dismissed the application on the grounds that the affidavits submitted by Rev. Boateng and the aforementioned bailiff, who filed the motion, were inconsistent.
In contrast to the supposed bailiff's assertion that the MP put the court documents in his car and the lawmaker threw them away, Rev. Boateng asserted that the MP placed the documents at his side and kicked them.
“The application for contempt is thrown out as the applicant could not prove his case beyond reasonable doubt,” Justice Dankwa held.