The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central in the Central Region, Kennedy Agyapong, has filed a suit at the Supreme Court to challenge the jurisdiction of a High Court that is holding a contempt charge against him.
An Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Amos Wuni, has ordered the MP to show up and explain why he should not be severely punished for comments he made about a judge which the court deems disrespectful.
He failed to show up on Monday over claims he was unaware of the proceedings comepeling the court to fix the matter for today.
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But his lawyers want the apex court to stop it entirely.
The MP wants the Supreme Court to prohibit the High Court from hearing the contempt case and also quash the order of summons for him to appear before the court on the basis that the particular court (Land Court 12) that summoned him had no jurisdiction to do so.
Different court
In his affidavit in support, his lawyers say Justice Wuni does not have jurisdiction to hear the matter since he is not the judge the MP offended. They have also described as strange claims that the MP could not be found to receive court documents. They explained that Mr Agyapong is a regular panelist at Net2 TV and could also have been found in Parliament.
“The words uttered which I deem uncomplimentary and I have since apologised were not directed at the Court, presided over by his Lordship Amos Wuntah Wuni, the Court is not seized with jurisdiction to order the applicant to appear and to answer why he should not be severely punished for contempt of court,” the lawyers said in his affidavit in support.