Supreme Court Quashes Contempt Conviction Against Akwatia MP, Bars High Court from Further Action
Accra, Ghana – June 11, 2025
The Supreme Court has overturned a High Court contempt conviction against Ernest Kumi, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Akwatia, delivering a major legal victory for the embattled legislator. The apex court also ruled that Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe of the Koforidua High Court cannot proceed with sentencing the MP.
This decision follows a judicial review application filed by Mr. Kumi’s legal team, led by Gary Nimako-Marfo, who also serves as the NPP’s Director of Legal Affairs. The legal team argued that the High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the election petition that formed the basis of both an injunction and the subsequent contempt ruling.
According to Nimako-Marfo, Ghana’s electoral laws stipulate that election petitions must be filed within 21 days after the publication of certified results in the official gazette. He highlighted that although the petition was filed on December 31, 2024, the results were not gazetted until June 6, 2025, thereby making the original petition legally invalid.
The legal counsel further criticised the High Court for convicting Mr. Kumi of contempt without granting him a hearing, describing it as a violation of natural justice.
Opposition Pushback
In contrast, Henry Boakye Yiadom, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, through his legal representation, opposed the application, maintaining that the High Court acted within its legal mandate and that both the injunction and contempt proceedings were valid.
Despite the opposition, the Supreme Court found merit in Kumi’s challenge and quashed the contempt conviction, signalling a significant rebuke to the High Court’s handling of the case.
This ruling marks a crucial turn in the legal battle over the Akwatia parliamentary seat, and may have broader implications for future election petition procedures and the limits of judicial authority in such matters.
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