An Accra High Court yesterday dismissed a contempt application filed against the Electoral Commission (EC) and its commissioners for failing to comply with an earlier court order to implement the Representation of People’s Amendment Act (ROPAA).
The applicants, all Ghanaian residents in the United States of America (USA), urged the court to commit the commissioners for contempt for disobeying orders of the court.
The commissioners were sued for contempt for failing to implement orders from the High Court that modalities be put in place to operationalise ROPAA within 12 months.
It was the case of the applicants that the EC had “failed, refused or neglected to respect and comply” with the specific orders of the court in spite of numerous letters that they wrote to remind the EC of the impending deadline.
But, the court in its ruling, did not give any reason for dismissing the application, except to ask the parties to apply to the registrar of the court for copies of the decision.
In a response to the contempt application, Mrs Jean Mensa, EC Chairperson, said she was not the EC boss at the time judgment was given for the implementation of ROPAA.
She indicated: “I say that, at the time of the Judgment therein in 2017, I was not the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. I was subsequently appointed in July 2018 as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission and I was not immediately seized with the necessary orders of the court in operationalising Act 699 upon my appointment”.
Mrs Jean Mensa denied that she acted wilfully with the intention to bring the administration of justice into disrepute or disregard.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh
