A member of parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, wants the MP for Adansi Asokwa, K.T Hammond arrested for contempt of court for implying that Quayson would face jail time in a criminal prosecution that was still pending.
In an Accra High Court, Gyakye Quayson filed a contempt petition on July 7, 2023, with Kobina Tahir Hammond (NPP, Adansi Asokwa MP) as the respondent.
Quayson’s attorney, Justin Pwavra Teriwajah, outlined a variety of reasons why KT Hammond, who doubles as the trade minister, must be imprisoned in an affidavit supporting the application for contempt of court.
The relevant portions were as follows:
10. That by the words of the Respondent which have been widely publicized nationally and internationally, the Respondent is violating the right of the Accused/Applicant to be presumed innocent as well as the right of the accused to a fair trial.
11. That the said words of the Respondent are also in contempt of this Honourable Court as they are extremely prejudicial to the lawful process of this Honourable Court.
12. That such prejudice undermines the lawful judicial process and may even bring the said judicial process into disrepute as it will create in the minds of members of the public that no other conclusion other than that pronounced by the Respondent can occur.
13. That the Respondent is brazenly usurping the function of Her Ladyship, the trial judge, in this court.
14. That by virtue of Article 126(2) of the Constitution, this court has the power to commit the Respondent and people of his ilk for contempt of itself in order to keep the streams of justice pure.
15. That the Respondent has no respect for the judicial process and the interview granted by the Respondent, in its totality, is in egregious contempt of this Honourable court.
The final paragraph said the application was for the minister to “be brought before this Honourable Court and tried for contempt of court and sentenced to prison if found guilty.”