THE REPUBLIC vs. ASAMOAH ADJEI EX PARTE 1. OPANIN KWAME KYEREME (SUBSTITUTED) KOFI DEI (DECEASED) [2015]DLCA8281

THE REPUBLIC vs. ASAMOAH ADJEI EX PARTE 1. OPANIN KWAME KYEREME (SUBSTITUTED) KO... [2015]DLCA8281

Date	2015-11-19
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.:H1/12/2014
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA8281

E. K. AYEBI J.A. (PRESIDING)

G. TORKORNOO (MRS) J.A

M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J.A.

ANSAH ANKOMAH ERIC FOR PETITIONERS/APPLICANTS/APPELLANTS

W. Y. OPPONG FOR RESPONDENT/ RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT

[2015]DLCA8281
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>ASAMOAH ADJEI<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>EX PARTE 1. OPANIN KWAME KYEREME (SUBSTITUTED) KOFI DEI
(DECEASED)<o:p></o:p>(PETITIONRES/ APPLICANTS/ APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

CIVIL APPEAL NO.:H1/12/2014&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE:19 TH NOV, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>ANSAH ANKOMAH ERIC FOR PETITIONERS/APPLICANTS/APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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W. Y. OPPONG FOR
RESPONDENT/ RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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E. K. AYEBI J.A.&nbsp; (PRESIDING), G. TORKORNOO (MRS) J.A, M.
DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>A.
M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS), J.A.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>1.
This suit is about an application to commit the Respondent to prison for “his
willful/deliberate and conscious attempt to scandalize and expose the
administration of justice to public ridicule and a conduct that is prejudicial
to the outcome of the case pending before the Regional House of Chiefs titled:
OPANIN KWAME KYEREMEH (SUBSTITUTED KOFI DEI) OPANIN ASANTE VRS NANA ADWOA
KUSIWAA, ASAMOAH ADJEI AND OTHERS”.&nbsp; In
other words, this is a contempt of court proceeding which is now on appeal
before this court. <o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp; The
incidents that led to this appeal are as follows: <o:p></o:p>The
applicants in this case are the Abusuapanin and Kingmakers or Head of Family
and principal members of the Owusu Kwadwo immediate family within the Chiraa
Aduana Royal family. They, as Petitioners, filed a Petition against the
Respondents at the Judicial Committee of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of
Chiefs.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Petition was in respect of
a dispute on the nomination, election and enstoolment of the next Chiraahene
following the abdication of Chiraahene Barima Akrotwi Saniam II in or about
February/March 1996.&nbsp; The undisputed
facts are that the Chiraa Royal Family comprises two houses namely the Owusu
Kwadwo Family and the Akubefian Family and that the abdicated Chiraahene Barima
Akrotwi Saniam II was from the Akubefiam Royal House as well as his immediate
predecessor, Nana Afari Mintah; that the last Chiraahene to come from the Owusu
Kwadwo Royal House was Nana Kwabena Anini who abdicated his position in 1948;
that the present Queenmother of Chiraa is from the Akubefian Royal House.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>3.
The petitioners in their petition averred that per the custom of the Dormaa
Traditional Area, whenever the stool becomes vacant, any eligible member of the
two Royal Houses which constitute the Chiraa Royal Stool may present Customary
drinks to the Queenmother who in consultation with the Principal Elders of the
wider Royal Family, nominate the candidate for consideration by the Kingmakers
of Chiraa for election and installation.&nbsp;
The petitioners averred that following the abdication of Barima Akrotwi
Saniam II they presented customary drinks to the Queenmother for a member of
the Owusu Kwadwo Royal Family, Oppong Yaw, also known as J.L. Appiah to be
given the Stool.&nbsp; The Petitioners stated
that the Queenmother failed or refused to present the drinks to the kingmakers
as required by custom but rather surprisingly nominated and presented Asamoah
Adjei, her grandson from the same Akubefian Family who was all along away from
the country to the Kingmakers for consideration without any consultation with
the Principal Elders of the wider Royal family as required by custom and
practice.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>4.
The Petitioners said, initially they instituted and action against Asamoah
Adjei before the Judicial Committee of the Dormaa Traditional Council against
his purported nomination.<o:p></o:p>According
to the Petitioners, while this action was pending before the Judicial Committee
of the Dormaa Traditional Council, the Nifahene, Gyasehene, Ankobeahene and
Twafohene, all of Chiraa, clandestinely teamed up with the Queenmother Nana
Adwoa Kusiwaa to present Asamoah Adjei to the Omanhene of the Dormaa
Traditional Council as the nominated candidate for the Chiraa Stool without the
knowledge of the other Kingmakers.&nbsp; The
Petitioners stated that as a result of the part played by the Nifahene,
Gyasehene, Ankobeahene and Twafohene in the nomination of Asamoah Adjei, they
the Petitioners filed an application to the Judicial Committee of the Dormaa
Traditional Council to have them joined as Respondents to their initial
petition against Asamoah Adjei.&nbsp; The
Petitioners stated that the Registrar of the Judicial Committee of the Dormaa
Traditional Council failed to give a date for the motion to be moved and
continued to tell them “stories upon stories” on the countless occasion that
they</main>