REPUBLIC vs. EHA II AND OTHERS; EX PARTE TOGOBO AND OTHERS [2005]DLCA1015

Date	2005-04-15
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2005]DLCA1015

ASARE KORANG JA

AKOTO-BAMFO JA

OSEI JA

JONES MENSAH FOR THE APPELLANTS.

MENSA-ETSI FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

[2005]DLCA1015
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">EHA II AND OTHERS; EX PARTE TOGOBO AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[2003-2005]
1 GLR 328<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">Date: 15 April 2005<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>JONES
MENSAH FOR THE APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

MENSA-ETSI
FOR THE RESPONDENTS. <o:p></o:p>

ASARE
KORANG, AKOTO-BAMFO AND OSEI JJA<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Asare Korang JA.
On 26 November 2003 Richard Apaloo J (as he then was) sitting in the High
Court, Ho found the first, second, third and fourth respondent-appellants
(hereinafter referred to as the appellants) guilty of contempt and fined each
of them ¢l million or in default, a sentence of one month’s imprisonment. In
addition, the respondents were each mulcted in costs of ¢300, 000 and bonded to
be of good behaviour for twelve months, or in default, a sentence of three
months’ imprisonment.<o:p></o:p>The
contempt proceedings were founded upon a complaint by the applicant-respondents
(hereinafter referred to as the respondents) that the appellants had, during
the pendency and in defiance of three petitions challenging the purported
nomination, election, installation and confinement of the fourth appellant in
this appeal, Amega Patrick Agboada, and a motion for an order of interim
injunction filed in addition to the first of the petitions, purported to
outdoor the said Amega Patrick Agboada as the Awoamefia of Anlo under the stool
name of Togbui Sri III. It was contended by the respondents that the appellants
were fully aware of the pendency of the three petitions and the motion for
interim injunction before the judicial committee of the Volta Regional House of
Chiefs but went ahead and outdoored the fourth appellant, Amega Patrick
Agboada, at 4 o’clock in the morning on 21 August 2003, thus interfering with
the judicial process which made it impossible for the judicial committee of the
Volta Regional House of Chiefs to determine the petitions before it.<o:p></o:p>In
his judgment, the learned trial judge found as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“Finally,
as against the first respondent, Nyigblanua Eha II, the second respondent,
Togbe Honi II, the third respondent, Torgbui Addo and the fourth respondent,
Amega Dotse Dosee Agboada, there is evidence that in the company of others
amidst the firing of guns outdoored the fifth respondent knowing well their
conduct was not inconformity with the law. I have no doubt in my mind that they
knew and were aware of the pending litigation involving the succession to the
stool of Awoamefia, nevertheless they deliberately and wilfully decided to
outdoor the fifth respondent and they participated in the outdooring. I find
also that the fifth respondent being in confinement allowed himself to be
outdoored knowing very well that his eligibility was being contested before the
judicial committee.”<o:p></o:p>On
the basis of this finding, the trial judge found the appellants guilty of
contempt. While hearing the contempt application, the learned trial judge was
constrained to conduct an inquiry on the rule of Anlo custom applicable to the
installation of the Awoamefia of Anlo, after which he delivered himself as
follows:. “This piece of evidence was clear that the Awoamefia of Anlo is
installed first before confinement and the witness was also aware that he knew
of other stools which confined before installation.” Having so found, the trial
judge then decided:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">