Supreme Court hauls in Sir John, Hopeson Adorye for contempt

The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John and a member of the communication team of the NPP, Mr Hopeson Adorye, have formally been summoned to appear before the Supreme Court on August 14, 2013 to answer contempt charges.

The summons of August 9, 2013, is jointly signed by the presiding judge of the nine-member panel hearing the presidential election petition and the registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr Justice William Atuguba and Mr James Mensah respectively.

The two party men are alleged to have scandalised the court and lowered its authority as well as credibility in the eyes of the general public, 'and exciting hatred and ill-will towards the 1st and 2nd respondents' in the election petition.

The first and second respondents in the presidential election petition are President John Dramani Mahama and the Electoral Commission (EC).

Sir John, a lawyer, was alleged to have accused the Bench of bias while Mr Adorye was alleged to have stated that the heads of members of the National Demoratic Congress (NDC) will be chopped if President Mahama is declared winner of the ongoing Presidential election petition.

By Mabel Aku Baneseh / Daily Graphic / Ghana