I threatened the judge - Maurice Ampaw recalls contempt case with Afia Schwarzenegger

Private legal practitioner Maurice Ampaw has recounted issuing a threat to a judge during his representation of Chairman Wontumi, the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, in the contempt case againt Afia Schwarzenegger.

According to his account, Afia Schwarzenegger and the other individuals sued for contempt were backed by the Despite Media Group and had five lawyers in court, facing him alone.

He noted that, during open court proceedings, he issued a threat to the judge handling the case, warning him not to allow any influence, as any such attempt would be exposed to the public.

Speaking in an interview with Fiifi Pratt on Kingdom FM, as monitored by GhanaWeb, Maurice Ampaw stated that the legal tussle between Chairman Wontumi and Afia Schwarzenegger is one of the most controversial cases he has handled in his career as a lawyer.

“Most of the cases I handle are controversial. I took UTV, Afia Schwarzenegger, Fadda Dickson, Kwame A Plus and others to court for contempt when Afia claimed she had sexual intercourse with Chairman Wontumi. It was a tough case that had the interest of the public.

“After citing them [Despite Media Group] for contempt, they took five lawyers against me alone. Knowing very well the company has influence, I went to the court to threaten the judge. In an open court, I warned him that the case has a serious social media presence and that any attempt for him to be influenced would be exposed,” he said.

Background

Afia Schwarzenegger was taken to court for violating the terms under which she had been released in a previous contempt case.

One would recall that after Chairman Wontumi slapped the socialite with a defamation lawsuit, she reportedly failed to appear in court despite several cautions. As things escalated, she was sentenced to 10 days in prison on the grounds of contempt of court, but she reportedly went into complete hiding.

She later turned herself in, issued an apology with remorse, and her lawyer prayed to the court that his client should be made to pay a fine instead.

It was in the bid to annul the 10-day prison sentence that the socialite was ordered to sign a bond of good behaviour for 36 months, in addition to a fine of GH¢60,000.

Afia was also ordered not to comment on the case on any platform during the pendency of the bond, with the court directing that any breach of these orders would warrant the socialite being hauled back.

Maurice Ampaw was the legal counsel for Chairman Wontumi in that case.

Despite Media's involvement

On United Showbiz, despite the ongoing court proceedings, host Nana Ama McBrown and her panellists delved into the case between Afia Schwarzenegger and Chairman Wontumi. During her appearance as a guest, Afia Schwarzenegger made additional claims, leading to a contempt suit from Ampaw.

SB/BB

Watch the video below