No show at High Court as Ken Agyapong fails to appear but…

The Accra High Court has directed the court registry to ensure that the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, who failed to turn up in court after his widely publicise summons, is served a hearing notice. 

Justice Amos Wuntah Wuni who presided urged the registry to ensure that the lawmaker, who allegedly hurled insults at the judge over a default judgement against him, is made to appear before him. 

The court indicated that all attempts to ‘drag’ Agyapong to court had proven futile.

Justice Wuni read out messages of non-service filed by the bailiff Eric Kow Kotey, who had been sent to serve the Member of Parliament.

“…that on September 9, 2020, I was entrusted with a copy of order to appear in court for service on within named ‘Kennedy Ohene Agyapong’. I attempted the service on the said name but could not effect the service.

“l went to his office and his reception called him on phone to talk to me [the bailiff]. He told me to snap a copy of the document to him. He later called again to send the document to Parliament house.

“The Parliamentary Service reacted promptly, also on the instant that the clerk of Parliament is therefore unable to serve the honorable member,” the judge read out.

Justice Wuni, therefore, directed that the registry to use a substituted service.

The court subsequently directed the registry to post a copy of the order and post it on the notice board of the High Court, land court division of Accra.

A copy of this order should also be posted at Net2 TV and Oman FM premises for three days accordingly.

The case has been adjourned to September 18, this year.

Background

The Assin Central MP was summoned by the Judge, Amos Wuntah Wuni, after he was seen in a video insulting the judge over a land case still before the court.

“You are a stupid judge. I will face you,” Mr. Agyapong said on his TV station Net2 last week.

He stressed, “I am not Anas to take bribe from you. I will deal with you.”

In a summon addressed to the MP, the judge asked the MP to show: “cause why he should not be severely punished for contempt if the matters are proven against him to the satisfaction of the Court.”

Since then pressure has been mounting on the Chief Justice not to interfere and allow the law to take its own course.

A group calling itself the Progressive Intellectuals, prior to Monday’s hearing called on the judiciary to punish Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong as it was done in the case of ‘Montie 3’.

According to the group, the apology from the lawmaker does not atone for his televised attack on a judge.

The unfolding events are reminiscent of the 2016 electioneering and how the public reacted to the Montie Trio case involving political talk show host, Mugabe Salifu Maase and two panelists, Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn over threatening comments on an Accra-based radio station, Montie FM.

The accused persons were sentenced by the Supreme Court on July 27, 2016, were found guilty for scandalizing the court, defying and lowering the authority of the court.

The ruling was delivered by the immediate past Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo.