Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong has pleaded not guilty to the charge of contempt leveled against him.
This was after the Judge had opted to proceed with the the matter despite opposition from Mr. Agyapong’s lawyers.
The MP has alleged that the Judge hearing the matter, Amos Wuntah Wuni will create a situation where he will be biased should he go ahead to hear the case.
They had subsequently petitioned the Chief Justice on the matter and also filed an application at the High Court seeking to restrain the Judge from proceeding.
The legislator risks a possible jail term or fine should he be found guilty of contempt.
He was dragged to the court by Justice Wuni to justify why he should not be severely punished for making some comments regarding a pending case.
But his lawyers on September 18 urged the court to halt proceedings explaining they had filed an application at the Supreme Court challenging Justice Awuni’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Justice Wuni stated that nothing barred him from proceeding with the case but adjourned proceedings to September 25 to hear further legal arguments from Mr. Agyapong’s legal team.
This team has since filed a fresh application at the High Court asking that Justice Wuni is restrained from hearing the matter.
They explain that “since his Lordships Amos Wuntah Whni’s authority to exercise his jurisdiction in the committal proceedings is in issue, it will be bias and prejudicial for his Lordship to be a Judge in his own case in the exercise of such questionable jurisdiction”.
They also insists it is the Attorney General that has the power by law to initiate any criminal contempt proceedings and not the court that alleged to have been threatened and scandalized.
The lawyers further reveal that they have petitioned the Chief Justice pointing him to the “unfair process emanating from his Lordship Awuni’s court”.
Justice Wuni who was informed of this development ruled that the court was proceeding with the matter. The charge of contempt was read against the MP who pleaded not guilty. After which the video recording was played in the court room.
Justice Wuni has adjourned proceedings to Monday September 28 for Mr. Agyapong’s lawyers to respond to the video recording and state his Defence.
