THE Chief of Akyem Apinamang in the Eastern Region, Osabarima Oware Pinkro III, last Thursday appeared before the Koforidua High Court, in obeisance of the court’s order to purge himself of contempt of the court.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Kossi Efo Kaglo, last Monday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the chief, following his refusal to appear before it to explain why he should not be convicted for contempt.
He was granted bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 with two sureties to be justified.
Granting the bail, the court also ordered Osabarima Pinkro, who doubles as the Commandant of the Ghana Police College in Accra, to make available to the registrar of the court two recent passport pictures for the purposes of identification in case he absconded.
Prior to the granting of the bail, the court indicated that it could have remanded Osabarima Pinkro in police custody until December 15, 2009, the next adjourned date, warning him not to show any form of defiance to the court again.
When Osabarima Pinkro appeared in court, his counsel, Mr Kofi Asante, prayed the court to rescind the bench warrant for the arrest of his client, since he had made himself available to the court.
This position was supported by the plaintiff’s counsel, Mr K. Amoako Adjei, who also prayed the court to grant the defendant bail on condition that he would continue to make himself available to the court.
J.B. Dartey Mining Limited, a small-scale mining company, filed a motion on notice at the court, praying for an order to commit the chief for contempt for wilfully and spitefully interfering in the administration of justice.
The company instituted contempt proceedings at the court against the chief for allegedly preventing execution of the court’s order.
According to an affidavit in support of the motion filed by J.B. Dartey Mining Limited, the court, in an earlier judgement, restrained two traditional rulers, including Osabarima Pinkro and two others from entering or working on the concession granted to the company per an agreement between the Government of Ghana and the company.
According to the affidavit, after the judgement, the moveable properties of one of the judgement debtors, Victor Odonkor, a miner at Kobriso, were attached.
It said as a result, three armed policemen, led by a police officer, a court bailiff, an auctioneer and drivers who were to drive the attached vehicles to the court premises, went to Kobriso for the execution.
The affidavit said in the process of the execution, Victor Odonkor called Osabarima Pinkro, went to the scene and invited the auctioneer and the bailiff to Victor’s residence.
According to the affidavit, the auctioneer, Mr James Ampah, invited the Police Officer, Chief Inspector Djokoto, to accompany them to hear whatever the respondent had to say.
It said Osabarima Pinkro told the group that he would not allow them to execute the court order and that blood would be shed if they attempted to execute the order.
It averred that the chief further offered GH¢1,000 to the group that went to Odonkor’s residence, but it was refused.
The affidavit stated that the respondent further invited the group to his own palace at Apinamang, but members of the group declined, and out of fear for their lives, they returned to Koforidua.
According to the affidavit, as a result of the conduct of the respondent and the threat of death, the officers of the court and the others concerned were unable to execute the order.
“The conduct of the respondent, who is a chief and senior police officer, and who by his position is expected to train and instil discipline into the Police Service, has brought the administration of justice into disrepute,” it contended.
No comments:
Post a Comment