Regional News of Thursday, 21 November 2002

Source: Ghanaian Chronicle

Ex-Omanhene In Trouble As Judge Threatens To Sue For Defamation

Justice Sanyo Dzamaib, a Sekondi High Court Judge who has now been transferred to Agona Swedru in the Central Region has threatened to sue Odeneho Akrofa Krukoko, the "former" Omanhene of Wassa Fiase traditional area, for defamation.

Unimpeachable source close to the High Court Judge, confided in the Chronicle that Justice Senyo's threat to sue the embattled omanhene is premised on his recent news conference in Acorn where lie allegedly stated that the High Court Judge took a bribe of 140 million cedis from his opponents to jail him for 14 days without the option of fine after being found guilty of contempt.

All attempts to contact Oderieho Akrofa Krukoko at his Denso base on phone to either deny or confirm statement being attributed to him proved futile.

Justice Senyo however confirmed the story when Chronicle called him on phone at Agona Swedru.

According to him available information indicates that the said defamatory statement was also carried in the Free Press. I urn surely going to sue the man at the Sekondi High Court if my investigations prove that he (Kiukoko) did make that unsubstantiated allegation against me, he told the Chronicle.

According to him Krukoko was found guilty of contempt and sentenced to 14 days imprisonment about 8 months ago.

He therefore wondered why he should wait for such a long time before going public if he has evidence that he took 140 million cedis bribe from his opponent.

"I am surely going to sue this man to come and prove where and when the said ?140 million bribe was paid to me," he said.

On the 19rh of April this year, the Sekondi High Court then presided over by Justice Senyo Dzamafe found Odeneho Krukoko guilt of contempt.

Evidence made available to the court indicated that Odeneho did forcibly enter the traditional council office at Tarkwa and declared himself as omanhene and president of the council at the rime an interim injunction has been placed on him.

En his ruling Justice Senyo stated that he was sentencing Krukoko to 14 days imprisonment because he had already been tried and found guilty of contempt by another High Court in Sekoridi on almost the same offence.

For the 8th respondent (Krukokc9, this is the Sekondi time he is convicted for the same offence and I therefore take a serious view of it [therefore sentence him to 14 days imprisonment with immediate effect, Senyo wrote in his ruling Keep on reading the Chronicle for this legal battle.