Greater Accra Minister acquitted on contempt charges

Saturday, May 9, 2009 (Page 19)

THE Accra circuit court has acquitted and discharged the Greater Accra Regional Minister and three others after they had purged themselves of contempt of court.
The Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey, and the others, Mr Fats Nartey, the Chief Director of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC); Mr J.A. Tufuor, the Director of Administration, and Chief Okai, the Chief Security of the AMA, were alleged to have caused construction work on commercial stores and offices at the Tudu Lorry Park in Accra to be stopped on April 10, contrary to a court order.
Nii Ashitey was alleged to have directed Mr Nartey to communicate in writing to the AMA to stop the construction firm, Continental Sikaman Agencies Limited, from going ahead with work on the project on a piece of land leased to the company in order to allow market women to trade on the disputed land.
The four purged themselves through their lawyers at the court's sitting in Accra last Thursday.
The court then gave the contractor, Mr Kwabena Danquah, the go ahead to continue with construction work on the project. He was also given a three-month extension to make up for the time lost when the project was stalled as a result of the dispute.
Nii Ashitey was not present in court. He was said to be observing the election of a Presiding Member for the AMA. The three others were present.
The presiding judge, Mr Justice David K. Ofosu-Quartey, said it was honourable for the regional minister and the others to have purged themselves of the contempt.
He also commended the Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Ebo Barton-Oduro, for handling the issue maturely.
The court cautioned and discharged nine of the women who were identified as having directed or taken part in the destruction of the contractor's property.
On April 23, 2009, Mr Barton-Oduro intervened in the contempt case brought against the regional minister and the three others.
Some market women who besieged the court premises expressed their displeasure at the court’s decision.
In the substantive case, Mr Danquah said work began earnestly following the court’s order permitting his company to do so but in the course of the work, some people who identified themselves as members of the Tomato Sellers Association at Tudu persistently harassed the workers.
According to him, the women destroyed materials meant for construction work on February 18, 2009.
Mr Danquah said the company won the contract in 2007 after a competitive bidding to construct market stores and offices to rent out for 25 years.
On April 8 the court ordered the company to continue the work as scheduled but two days later Chief Okai and an AMA task force went to the site to stop work on the project.
An affidavit in support of Mr Danquah’s motion said his foreman was escorted to the Accra Regional Police Station where he was handed two letters written by Mr Nartey and Mr Tufuor, on the directives of the regional minister, ordering the stoppage of work on the project.
Mr Danquah further deposed that the regional minister also withdrew a criminal case which arose out of the legal battle between the women and the company from an Accra circuit court, although he was not a party to the case.
He contended that the women were not looking for space to carry out their work but rather sought to frustrate his company to stop the project altogether by conspiring with the respondents.
According to the applicant, the respondents had been aware of the court order and indicated that their conduct should not go unpunished.