Minister cited for contempt over Volta NPP polls

Six senior members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and an electoral officer have been dragged to court for contempt over the holding of the Volta regional delegates’ conference.

Key among them are the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa and the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu.

The others are the newly-elected regional chairman of the party, Kofi Makafui Woanyah, former acting Regional Chairman, Esther Edjeani, Chairman of the Vetting Committee, Bob Charles Agbontor, Volta Regional Director of Electoral Commission (EC), Selormey Dogbe and the Hohoe Municipal Electoral Officer, Thomas Karikari.

The seven allegedly defied an injunction restraining the NPP from holding the Volta regional conference, which saw the election of new regional executives in April, 2018.

The Ho High Court, presided over by Justice Eric Baah, adjourned the case to June 18, 2018 because not all the defendants had been served with copies of the contempt notice.

The former Secretary of the NPP in the Volta Region, George Kofi Boateng, filed an ex-parte motion to place an injunction on the party’s regional conference in April.

The court granted the motion prior to the conference to Mr Boateng who complained of unfair disqualification by the party.

Mr. Boateng explained to the press that he and three other aspirants were disqualified by the vetting committee chaired by Bob Charles Agbontor in April unjustifiably.

He, therefore, petitioned the party but received no response until the conference was held in Hohoe.

Mr. Boateng said although the NPP had knowledge of the injunction, it held the conference under the leadership and supervision of the respondents to elect new regional executives.

This, according to Mr Boateng, amounts to gross disrespect to the court.

Respondents’ motion

Lawyer of the respondents, Ernest Gaewu moved an application to set aside the said interlocutory injunction on grounds that the lawyers of the applicant erred in filing the order.

He said it was wrong for the administrator of the party to be served the notice.

He said the court order was rendered void because the ex-parte motion for the injunction served on the NPP was not done together with writ of summons and hearing notice in accordance with the statues.

Lawyer for the plaintiff, Eric Atsu Agbakpe, said it was a good service because the administrator, who was appointed by the party at the regional level, was in good standing.

He, therefore, prayed the court to dismiss the application.