IGP faces contempt charge

IGP Elizabeth Mills-Robertson The Acting Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Elizabeth Mills-Robertson will soon appear in court with a police prosecutor, E.Y. Frimpong, to answer charges relating to contempt of court.

The allegations border on interference in the administration of justice by the prosecutor who ordered a police investigator to detain an accused person who was granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court Judge, D.E.K. Daketsey.

The accused person, Vivian Asantewaa, after being granted bail, was still in detention on the alleged orders of the police prosecutor at the Nungua Police Cells with her baby girl till the next morning.

This was contained in a notice of motion for committal of contempt, filed by Prince Frederick Nii Ashie Neequaye, counsel for Vivian the applicant, at Azinyo Chambers, and dated May 6, 2009.

The case is before an Accra High Court presided over by Justice P.K. Gyaesayor.

According to him, on May 5, 2009, a case entitled, “The Republic Vs Vivian Asantewaa & and Nana Boakye Yiadom” was called in an Accra Circuit Court in which he appeared as counsel for the applicant and the other person, Yiadom, while DSP Frimpong was the prosecutor in the case.

He said they both pleaded not guilty to charges of defrauding by false pretences and he applied for bail which was granted by the court and the sureties were ready and the other accused person was set free.

Counsel for the applicant noted that her applicant who was nursing a baby, was unlawfully sent to the Nungua Police Station by the investigator on the orders of the prosecutor till the following day.

Mr. Neequaye was of the view that the conduct of DSP Frimpong amounted to an infringement of the human rights of the applicant and “a complete frustration of the administration of justice”.

The lawyer stated that the unlawful conduct of the police officer sought to undermine the authority of the court and bringing the orders of the court to naught; thereby bringing the administration of justice into disrepute, ridicule and contempt.

He said the prosecutor who showed wanton disregard for the orders of the court must be brought to book and punished accordingly; otherwise he will continue to treat the orders of the court with contempt.

By Fidelia Achama