I will jail you if you joke – NAM1 Judge to Kwame Akuffo and State Prosecutor

Justice Ernest Owusu-Dapaah, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as an additional High Court judge has for the second time warned lawyer Kwame Akuffo to desist from showing disrespect in court, this time adding a State prosecutor to the caution.

Justice Owusu-Dapaah said he doesn’t care if the lawyer has 100 years’ experience at the Bar he will not hesitate to jail him if the disrespect in open court continues.

The judge is hearing the trial of Chief Executive Officer of Menzgold Ghana Limited, Nana Appiah Mensah popularly known as NAM 1.

Justice Owusu-Dapaah said not even President Akufo-Addo can intervene except with a presidential pardon, making an indirect reference to the family relationship between Kwame Akuffo and President Akufo-Addo.

The judge was forced to issue the warning after a rounding of shouting between Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa and Kwame Akuffo who had earlier had an altercation with the judge.

Responding to the back-and-forth between the two, the judge said he will not tolerate disrespect in his court and will commit them for contempt and jail them.

“Not even the President can get me to rescind that decision unless he exercises the Presidential Pardon,” Justice Owusu-Dapaah cautioned.

“If you don’t understand that, you may be 100 years at the Bar but if I sit here I’m not exercising my own sovereignty but the sovereignty of Ghana. If you cannot respect that I will jail you,” he intimated.

He warned that he expects decorum and decency in proceeding saying “this is the atmosphere we must keep in the courtroom.”.