The Minority in Parliament has revealed that the legal counsel of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has filed an appeal against the ruling of the Koforidua High Court on the Ernest Kumi case.
This comes after the court on Wednesday, February 20, convicted the Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Ernest Kumi, of contempt and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
The minority maintains that the posture of the presiding judge had always been biased toward the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking on behalf of the caucus in a press conference, Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib recounted that the high court judge ignored a series of notices intended to prevent him from sitting on the matter and pronouncing judgement.
These notices include; a writ of certiorari and prohibition on the grounds of the high court’s lack of jurisdiction as well as a stay of proceeding.
Shaib further questioned the presiding judge’s decision to ignore the pending notices and pronounced judgment. He revealed that a stay of execution pending appeal has been filed to arrest the ruling of the judge.
“Legal steps have been taken. A notice of appeal has been filed against the ruling of the High Court at the court of appeal, and an application for a stay of execution pending appeal has also been filed at the High Court No.3 Koforidua.
“Moreover, all the parties to the certiorari and prohibition application including the judge, His Lordship Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe who is a respondent to this application before the Supreme Court have been duly served,” he stated.
The High Court in Koforidua, Eastern Region, convicted the Akwatia MP, Ernest Yaw Kumi, for contempt of court on Wednesday, February 19.
The ruling followed 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.
