Contempt Case Filed Against Nfodjo

A case of Contempt of Court has been filed at the Ho High Court against the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ho Central Constituency, Capt. George Kofi Nfodjo (retd), and other ranking members of the Ho central executive of the NDC, for acclaiming Capt.

Nfodjo as the parliamentary aspirant for the Ho Central Constituency in contravention of a directive of a Ho High Court.

The other executive members of the Ho Central Constituency who were cited in the suit are Messrs Winfred Agbemakplido, Constituency Chairman, and Isaac Kodobisa, vice chairman.

According to the plaintiffs, a Ho High Court, based on earlier evidence of an intention on the part of the respondents to declare Capt. Nfodjo as the sole aspirant, had admonished them in open court and educated them on the consequences of disregarding court proceedings in view of the pending case.

But in blatant disregard of the authority of the court, the respondents went ahead to organise a primary, where they declared Capt. Nfodjo as the sole candidate for the NDC in the Ho Central Constituency.

An affidavit deposed by Messrs William Asorgoe and Yaw Agbeli, all of Ho, which accompanied the application said that on May 16 , 2008, a writ was filed seeking, among others, an order for perpetual injunction to restrain the respondents from conducting the parliamentary primary election in the Ho Central Constituency until the final determination of the case.

Consequently, an interim injunction was obtained to restrain the respondents from conducting the primary which had then been slated for May 17 , 2008.

The affidavit said, "Mindful of the fact that the said order would last for 10 days, we repeated same on notice on 29th of May, 2008" and "the respondents accordingly filed an affidavit in opposition to the said application for interlocutory injunction".

They said that the respondents also filed an affidavit in opposition to their application for an interlocutory injunction, adding that "However, in an amazing fashion, the Respondents filed a motion on 29th May 2008, seeking an order of the Court to strike out our pleadings and same was subsequently moved accordingly".

But thereafter, the counsel for the respondents told the court that they would like to opt for settlement of the case out of court, to which the court obliged without reluctance.

The plaintiffs claimed that on June 14 , 2008, the court was informed about the failure of the parties to reach an amicable settlement, and that accordingly paved the way for them to reply to the respondents' application on the next adjourned date since their counsel was not in court on the said day.

"Surprisingly, however, in utmost disregard of the court, the Respondents on 12th October 2008, went ahead with the conduct of the said primary by declaring the 3rd Respondent ( George Kofi Nfodjo) the sole candidate to contest the said parliamentary election on the ticket of the NDC", he declared.

According to them the conduct of the respondents amounted to gross disrespect to the court, adding that their action did not only defy the authority or dignity of the court but was also intended to bring the administration of justice into disrepute.

Information gathered from the deponents by the Daily Graphic at the time of filing this report indicated that the respondents had gone into hiding and were running away from being served.

But when the MP for Ho Central, Capt. George Nfodjo, was reached on phone, he said that he was at work in Parliament and could be served if the deponents wished so, adding that "I believe that the other persons named in the suit are also free Ghanaians".

Story by Victor Kwawukume