The High Court in Accra has adjourned a contempt case involving Deputy Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police (COP), Christian Tetteh Yohonu and two others has been adjourned to March 12 to allow for additional filing of processes.
This was after Counsel for the Applicant had told the Court that, they had received the Respondent’s affidavits in opposition and would want to file a supplementary.
The Applicants – including Theophilus Teiko Tagoe, are asking the High Court in Accra to commit the Deputy IGP and two senior police officers- Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alhassan Malaika Jibril, and Superintendent (Supt.) Bawa Alhassan, to prison for contempt of court.
Mr Tagoe in his motion for committal against the three senior officers is alleging that the Deputy IGP and the two officers were aiding land guards to take possession of his land situated in Adjiringano, in Accra.
It was his case that, the officers allegedly provided security for land guards to take over the land he (Tagoe) bought from the Nugua Traditional Stool, in 2007.
Mr Tagoe, the applicant, has also filed a separate motion for contempt at the same court, asking it to commit six others to prison for contempt of court.
In Court on Monday, February 24, 2025, Counsel of the Applicants said “We have been served with the affidavit in opposition filed by the respondents (three senior Police Officers).
“As I indicated to the Court earlier on, we wish to file a supplementary affidavit…I will comply the procedure to come formally,” Counsel for the Applicants stated.
Abu Juan, Counsel holding brief for Thaddeus Sory for the Respondents urged the Court to give a firm date for the motion for supplementary to be moved.
The Court presided over by Justice Kenneth Edem Kudjordjie has since adjourned the matter to March 12, 2025.
Deputy IGP COP Yohonu and two senior police officers- (ASP) Alhassan Malaika Jibril, and Supt. Bawa Alhassan were all absent as the Court previously granted them that option.
While the Applicants were also absent and were represented by one Emmanuel Odai.
At the last Court sitting on January 31, 2025 lawyers of the Applicant sincerely apologized to the Respondents for public embarrassment.
This was after it emerged in court that the Contempt application, which was widely publicized in the media, had not been served personally on Deputy IGP and the two others – ASP Alhassan Malaika Jibril and Supt. Bawa Alhassan as per the rules of Contempt.
Lawyers for the Deputy IGP and the two senior officers represented by Abu Juan had informed the High Court that their clients had not been personally served with the contempt processes but had rather heard about it through the media.
The Court presided over by Justice Kenneth Edem Kudjordjie expressed a cautioned approach to this development, stating that the matter was sensitive and should not have been handled in this manner to embarrass the officers.
The applicants, Theophilus Nii Teiko Tagoe and Samuel Nii Odai Quaye, through their lawyers, though contended that the application was served on the service legal directorate, offered sincere apologies to the Deputy IGP and the two other officers.
Meanwhile, the court has dispensed with the requirement for the senior officers to appear personally whenever the case is called, allowing them to be represented by designated junior officers instead.
Background
The Applicants – Theophilus Teiko Tagoe, is asking the High Court in Accra (Land Division) to commit the Deputy IGP and two senior police officers to prison for contempt of court.
Mr Tagoe in his motion for committal against the three senior officers- COP Tetteh Yohuno, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alhassan Malaika Jibril, and Superintendent (Sup) Bawa Alhassan, is alleging that the Deputy IGP and the two officers were aiding land guards to take possession of his land situated in Adjiringano, in Accra.
It was his case that, the officers allegedly provided security for land guards to takeover the land he (Tagoe) bought from the Nugua Traditional Stool, in 2007.
Mr Tagoe, the applicant, has also filed a separate motion for contempt at the same court, asking it to commit six others to prison for contempt of court.
