The Tema High Court has fined entertainment personality Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, popularly known as Afia Schwarzenegger, an amount of GH¢60,000 in a contempt case brought before the court by Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi).
The controversial celebrity has also been charged to pay an amount of GH¢5000 to the plaintiff for defamation against Chairman Wontumi.
Afia Schwarzenegger, with her legal team, went to court on January 17, 2023, after which her case was adjourned for the second time to January 31, 2023.
The court adjourned her case for the second time due to a clerical error on the docket.
On Tuesday, December 20, 2023, Afia Schwarzenegger in the company of her lawyer, Adrian Duke Amaning went to the Tema High Court where the lawyer moved a motion on notice for a variation of the sentence.
“Coming under Order 50 Rule 4(1) and Rule 5 of the High Court (Civil Procedures) Rules which deal with the suspension of an order and discharge of a person committed, respectively, he prayed the court to suspend the sentence”.
“Order 50 Rule 4(1) states that the court, which makes an order of committal, may by an order direct that the execution of the order of committal shall be suspended for such period or on such other terms and conditions as it may specify, while Rule 5 (1) states that the court may, on the application of any person committed to prison for contempt of court, discharge the person”.
The court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ankamah at its sitting on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, granted the application of the convict and substituted the jail sentence to 5000 penalty units.
The court further ordered her to sign a bond of good behaviour for 36 months. She was also ordered not to comment on the case on any platform during the pendency of the bond.
Moreover, the court directed that any breach of the orders will warrant her being dragged before a court.
The court said considering the fact that the applicant has apologised and shown remorse, she deserves a second chance.
Background
Afia Schwarzenegger and other entertainers were dragged to court on December 1, 2022, over defamatory comments against the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling NPP, Bernard Antwi-Bosiako, alias Chairman Wontumi on United Showbiz on UTV.
The others, including the show host Nana Ama McBrown, were fined GH¢60,000 each (5,000 penalty units), but Afia was sentenced to 10 days in prison for contempt of court.
At the time Afia was sued, she wasn’t in the country, but since then, she has appeared before the court for the third time.