Court clears GFA of contempt charges in AshantiGold case

The Accra Human Rights High Court has made its ruling in the Contempt case brought by AshantiGold SC against the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and its 12 Executive Council members, the General Secretary, and Sheikh Tophic Abdul-Kadir Sienu.

The court determined that the GFA and its officials were not served with the Injunction order of court and therefore were not in contempt of court. However, the court found Prosper Harrison Addo (in his personal capacity) and Sheikh Tophic Abdul-Kadir Sienu liable for comments made in interviews and on Facebook, respectively.

As a result, the court has sentenced Prosper Harrison Addo to a day's imprisonment and a fine of Gh¢24,000, while Sheikh Tophic Abdul-Kadir Sienu has been sentenced to a day's imprisonment and a fine of Gh¢12,000, with 14 days imprisonment in default for both cases.

In this context, a day's imprisonment means that the sentence will be served once the fines are paid, and the presiding judge ends their sitting for the day. The judge ended the sitting before midday, and both Prosper Harrison Addo and Sheikh Tophic Abdul-Kadir Sienu promptly paid their fines.

This judgment brings an end to the Contempt case, which has been a subject of much debate in Ghana's football community in recent months. The ruling serves as a reminder to all parties involved in sports disputes to abide by the laws of the land and avoid making inflammatory comments on social media or other public platforms.