NPP MP for Asante Akyem North cited for contempt of court

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New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Asante Akyem North in the Ashanti Region, Andy Appiah Kubi, has been cited for contempt of the High Court in an application filed by lawyers for some aggrieved party members in the constituency.

The aggrieved members, Kwabena Frimpong, Enyan Festus, and others, filed a case at the court after their names were “fraudulently” deleted from the party’s album prior to the parliamentary primaries.

They further filed an interlocutory injunction seeking to halt the parliamentary primaries until the final determination of the substantive case by the court, Dailymailgh.com can report.

Contempt Application

In the contempt application, lawyers of the applicants aver that the MP despite being served on July 28, 2020, as a Respondent in the case, has “conducted and continues to conduct himself as flagrant disregard of said injunction motion”.

According to the lawyers, the MP had continuously been treating the court with disrespect and levity as he contemptuously engaged in a purported outdooring ceremony as parliamentary candidate for the NPP.

“That among others, the Respondent has, contemptuously, mounted billboards/posters advertising himself as parliamentary candidate”, the suit read in part, adding that the MP recently superintended in an inauguration ceremony for a purported campaign team on August 24, 2020. 

The applicants further aver that Mr. Appiah-Kubi “has with impunity continued his contemptuous acts in such deliberate manner intended to bring and bringing the authority of the court and the administration of justice into disrepute.”

“That this court must protect the judicial system from abuse and from being treated with levity as Respondent has done and will continue to do unless punished”, the applicants continued. 

Sitting continues on September 23, 2020.

Background

The NPP suspended the parliamentary primary in the Asante Akyem North Constituency in the Ashanti Region following a court injunction. Some of the delegates filed for the injunction arguing that their names have been removed from the register for the election.

The incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi is contesting the seat with Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, a former MP for the area.

Mr. Appiah-Kubi defeated Baah Agyemang in the last NPP primary and went ahead to win the parliamentary election to enter the Legislative House.

Baah Agyemang has, however, staged a come back in what political watchers said would have been keen competition in the history of the Asante Akyem North Constituency.

Prior to the elections the National Organiser of the NPP, Mr. Sammy Awuku confirmed in a radio interview that the primary in the Asante Akyem North constituency had been suspended following the court case.

Disregard for party constitution

Some 145 members of the constituency accused the executive committee of a blatant disregard of the party’s constitution and its dictates by removing them from the delegate’s album and replacing them with people who were alien to their respective polling stations.

At a press conference, Convenor of the group Kwabena Frimpong stated that this was very alarming and urged the national executives to call the constituency executive officers to order.

“What they have done is very dangerous since as duly elected delegates, we have every right to protect our office and our party’s constitution hence it is our resolve to resist this attempt to disenfranchise us even with the last drop of our blood,” he stressed.

Mr. Frimpong said he couldn’t fathom what could trigger the removal of the legitimate members and their replacement with people who were not registered voters in the constituency while the party’s constitution stressed that no one could be a polling station executive at where he or she would not vote.

“The ‘Kumi preko’ demonstrations in the 90s led by no other person than our President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has thought members of the NPP to resist all forms of non-democratic and dictatorial tendencies with all our might and so will we do,” Mr. Frimpong threatened.

Source: Daily Mail GH