The Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed has posited that the Koforidua High Court had already prejudged the Ernest Kumi case before its hearing.
His comments come after the court convicted the Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Ernest Kumi, of contempt and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Wednesday, February 19, Haruna Mohammed asserted that the verdict declared by the presiding judge may have been predetermined as the judge denied counsel for Ernest Kumi recognition and proceeded to read the judgement without hesitation.
“I think the judge had already predetermined, he had already prepared his mind to read his own judgement. Remember when they moved the motion for contempt, there was no representation in court.
“So immediately he denied the lawyer Gary Nimako, that he is not going to recognise him, he just turned his laptop and started reading the judgement. So it meant the judge had already prepared his mind,” he said.
The High Court in Koforidua, Eastern Region, convicted the Akwatia MP, Ernest Yaw Kumi, for contempt of court on Wednesday, February 19.
The ruling follows his defiance of an interim injunction barring him from being sworn in as a legislator.
Presiding Judge, Justice Senyo Amedahe, also issued a bench warrant for Kumi’s arrest after he failed to appear before the court for sentencing.
The court had earlier restrained the MP from presenting himself for swearing-in, pending the resolution of a legal dispute. However, despite this directive, Kumi proceeded to take the oath of office in Parliament.
Citing overwhelming evidence of willful defiance, the court ruled that the lawmaker had acted in contempt.
