Supreme Court quashes contempt charge against Baare Chief, Talensi Secretary

The Supreme Court has overturned a contempt of court charge issued by the Bolgatanga High Court against Baare Chief, Naab Nyakora Mantii, and Richard Sunday Yinbil, Secretary to the Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area.

The charge stemmed from an alleged attempt to influence the presiding judge, Justice Alexander Graham, after the paramount chief requested that the judge visit the palace to discuss matters of mutual benefit on March 10, 2023.

Following the invitation, both Naab Nyakora Mantii and Richard Sunday Yinbil were arrested on the orders of Justice Graham and brought before an open court, where they were charged with contempt.

On July 7, 2026, the Supreme Court in Accra unanimously quashed the contempt order. Lawyers representing the chief and the secretary had filed an application for the Supreme Court’s intervention, arguing that the original order threatened the reputations of the chief of Baare, the secretary, and the paramount chief of the Talensi Traditional Area.

After the decision, the legal team addressed the media, highlighting the significance of the outcome for their clients. Lawyer Bennette Nakaar explained, “On March 10, 2023, the paramount chief asked that they inform the judge, Justice Alexander Graham, to come over to the palace for a discussion of mutual benefits. Unfortunately, the judge misinterpreted the harmless invitation and concluded that the chief and others were attempting to influence a pending court decision.”

Nakaar noted that the defendants acted out of genuine ignorance of legal procedure and did not intend to interfere with the court’s work. “When the chief later attempted to travel outside, the issue resurfaced, and we saw the need to clarify the matter in law. Today’s application simply sought the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction to quash the contempt order from 2023, and we argued that the judge lacked the authority to even entertain the matter from the outset,” he stated.

He added, “It is alien to the legal procedure as we know it in terms of contempt. These were the arguments we made, and the court agreed, quashing the order of March 10, 2023.”

The Supreme Court’s decision brings relief to the Baare Chief and the secretary, restoring their reputations and providing clarity on the limits of contempt proceedings in similar circumstances.

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