‘ARREST MAC MANU’ & 8 OTHERS

STORY: FROM JAMES APPIAKORANG JNR., KUMASI

A Fast Track High Court in Kumasi has issued a Bench Warrant for the arrest of the former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu, and some eight others for contempt.

The sitting High Court Judge, Justice E. Gyinae, gave the order after submissions by the counsel for the applicant, James Marshall Belieb, had prayed the court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Mr Mac Manu for refusing to appear before the court to answer contempt charges which according to the counsel, was a quasi-criminal matter.

According to James Marshall Belieb, once it was a contempt case, the explanation for the absence of Mr Mac Manu was not good enough, arguing that it was a quasi criminal matter and hence the presence of the respondent was necessary and requested for a bench warrant to be issued for the arrest of the former NPP National Chairman.

This was after counsel for Mac Manu, Stephen Oppong, had told the court that he was unable to communicate the date of the contempt sitting to his client, hence Mr Mac Manu’s absence from the court.

Mr Oppong stated emphatically that there was no law requiring the personal presence of a respondent in a contempt case, and therefore challenged the counsel for the applicant to provide the basis for his request for the issuance of a bench warrant for the arrest of his client.

Meanwhile, Justice Gyinae, in his ruling submitted that that there is no civil matter where the proof is beyond reasonable doubt, adding that in a quasi-criminal matter the proceeding should assume what is done in criminal matters.

He added that “Unless there are very tangible and compelling reasons, I am of the opinion that the presence of a respondent in contempt proceedings is necessary.

Mr Mac Manu and the eight others were said to have ignored the court’s ruling that no executive member of the NPP should interfere with activities of its Atwima Nwabiagya Constituency until the final determination of the case before it by the constituency executives and other party (NPP) members.

The other eight are Ben Oduro, Joe Adu, Jacob Asante, Yaw Adjei Anhwere. The others are J.K. Kwapong, Mike Amoah Awuku, Peter Asamoah and Yaw Amankwah, former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP.

According to the court, the former NPP chairman ignored its orders and asked the former National Women’s Organiser of the NPP, Rita Asobayire, to go ahead and organize polling station and constituency elections for the Atwima Nwabiagya constituency – a move Mr Mac Manu was cited for contempt

However, when the contempt case was called on April 13, this year, Mr Mac Manu and the Yaw Amankwa were absent.

After careful look at the submissions by the two counsels, Justice E. Gyinae also offered tutorials to both on the basis upon which a bench warrant could be issued to anybody that had flouted contempt charges.