Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 3 March 2009

Source: GNA

Former PMMC Board Chairman jailed for contempt

Accra, March 3 GNA - An Accra High Court has sentenced two former officials of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company Limited (PMMC) to 14 days' imprisonment for contempt of Court.

They are Stephen Adubofour, Former Board Chairman, and Aristotle Kotey, Former Acting Managing Director, both of the PMMC. The court also imposed a fine of 500 Ghana Cedis each on both of them to be paid within three days or in default serve additional seven days' imprisonment.

The court presided over by Mr Justice Kow Amissah-Koomson also declared that the purported appointment of Kotey as the Managing Director by the Board was null and void.

Mr Peter Boachie, the Substantive Managing Director and plaintiff in the case, had filled a motion at the court against the two former officials for various acts showing their utter disregard for the court orders and thereby bringing the law into disrepute, which was upheld by the court.

Mr Boachie had obtained an interlocutory injunction to restrain the Board from its intended action to terminate his appointment wrongfully. However, the two officials took several actions in blatant disregard of the injunction and all legal process and procedures of the court for which the court found them guilty of contempt and accordingly convicted them. 3 March 09