The Minority in Parliament has accused a High Court Judge, Justice Senyo Amedahe of bias and unfairness in the case against the embattled Akwatia MP.
Justice Amedahe on February 19, 2025 issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Akwatia Member of Parliament, Ernest Yaw Kumi, after convicting him of contempt of court.
The ruling stems from Kumi’s decision to continue holding himself out as an MP despite an interim injunction barring him from being sworn into office.
The court had earlier directed him to refrain from assuming the parliamentary role until a legal dispute was resolved, but he defied the order and took the oath of office in Parliament.
Reacting to the matter, the Minority in Parliament at a press briefing on February 20, 2025, said the Judge did not show objectivity in handling the case.
Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Shaib said Justice Amedahe ignored several applications including a certiorari and a stay of execution which were filed at the Supreme Court challenging the election petition before him and proceeded with his ruling.
He questioned why Justice Amedahe will ignore an application by Ernest Yaw Kumi to recuse himself from the case, concluding that the Judge exhibited “bias” throughout the handling of the case.
“What is the interest of the Judge in the matter before him that all these applications have been filed at the Supreme Court including a certiorari, including a stay of execution and including an application for him to recuse himself but evidence abounds that Justice Senyo Amedehe decided to proceed with alacrity.
“We, the minority are still worried. At worse, there is a pending application seeking to ask the jurisdiction of the court including the very contempt application before him on his docket which is yet to be moved on February 26, 2025.
“It is mind-boggling that while the learned Judge did not want to wait to hear the propriety of this application since this was challenging the foundation of the petition before him including all the processes and the orders made pursuant to the filing of the election petition on December 31, 2024,” he noted on Thursday.
According to the Minority, the warrant arrest against the Akwatia MP “threatens not only his right but also the very foundations of the democratic principles.”
Koforidua High Court orders arrest of Akwatia MP Ernest Yaw Kumi for contempt
“The judicial system must not be weaponized to serve partisan interest or undermine the will of the people of Akwatia,” Jerry Ahmed Shaib added.
The Minority Caucus further emphasised that legal steps have been taken to reverse the decision of the High Court.
“Legal steps have been taken, a notice of appeal has been filed against the ruling of the High Court at the Court of Appeal, an application for a stay of execution pending appeal has also been filed at the High Court in Koforidua.”
