Supreme Court Overturns Contempt Conviction of Akwatia MP Ernest Kumi
Accra, Ghana - 11 June, 2025 - The Supreme Court of Ghana has delivered a landmark judgment, overturning a contempt conviction issued against Ernest Kumi, the Member of Parliament for Akwatia, by the High Court in Koforidua.
In a 4-1 majority decision, the apex court ruled that the High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the election petition that led to the contempt conviction.
The Supreme Court deemed the petition filed Henry Boakye Yiadom, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, invalid because it was filed before the election results were officially gazetted, contradicting Ghana's electoral laws that require petitions to be filed within 21 days after gazetting.
In this case, the petition was filed on December 31, 2024, while the results were not gazetted until June 6, 2025, well beyond the statutory window.
Kumi's legal team, led by Gary Nimako-Marfo, argued that the High Court's jurisdiction was improperly invoked, rendering all subsequent rulings, including the injunction and contempt conviction, invalid. Nimako-Marfo also criticized the High Court for convicting Kumi of contempt without granting him a hearing, calling it a breach of natural justice.
The Supreme Court's decision bars Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe from proceeding to sentence Kumi, effectively ending any punitive action under the original ruling.
Source: Lead News Online
