General News of Monday, 22 February 2021

Source: 3news.com

Ayine blocks questions from media after apologising to Supreme Court

Former Deputy Attorney General Dr Dominic Ayine Former Deputy Attorney General Dr Dominic Ayine

Former Deputy Attorney General Dr Dominic Ayine has apologised to the Supreme Court over his contemptuous comments against the justices of the high court regarding the ongoing election petition hearing.

The Supreme Court Monday February 22, 2021 ordered the Bolgatanga East lawmaker to go and retract comments he had publicly made which the court deems contemptuous.

He had earlier said in a media interview that the decision of the Supreme Court not to allow the petitioner reopen his case to subpoena chairperson of the 1st Respondent Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, was “predetermined”.

This, the court deemed scandalous and brought contempt charges against Mr. Ayine, a case which was heard Monday.

During the hearing, a remorseful looking Mr. Ayine said he had written a letter to the court apologizing for his comments.

Counsel for the contemnor Dr. Ayine also pleaded on behalf of his client asking the mercy of the court.

The court, in accepting the apology of the contemnor acknowledged the fact he is a senior member of the bar but made the following consequential orders.

“We accept the apology of learned counsel for the contemnor, we however order that the contemnor purges his contempt by retracting his scandalous on the very same medium before Thursday, 25th February, 2021, when the court will reconvene. The contempt proceedings is thus adjourned to Thursday, 25th February, 2021?, the ruled.

After apologizing to the court on live television, Dr Ayine told the journalists that “In respect of this matter I won’t take any questions from the press.”