Court issues bench warrant for Afia Schwarzenegger, 4 others convicted of contempt
The High Court, Tema, has sentenced socialite, Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, popularly known as Afia Schwarzenegger to 10 days in prison for contempt of court.
She was not present when the judgment was pronounced yesterday and the court, presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ankamah,issued a bench warrant for her arrest.
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Four other contemnors in the case filed by businessman and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako also known as Chairman Wontumi, were also convicted but three of them were fined, while the other was pardoned.
The three, who were fined GH¢60,000 each (5,000 penalty units) or in default, two month jail sentence for each, were Felicity Ama Agyeman, aka Nana Ama Mcbrown, Kwame Asare Obeng, alias Kwame A Plus and Emmanuel Barnes alias Mr Logic
However, the Executive Producer of United Television (UTV), Fadda Dickson Narh, was pardoned by the court after the court held that he showed remorse before the case was brought to it by causing a publication to be made on UTV apologising.
The case was in connection with a United Showbiz programme aired on UTV which had McBrown as host with, Barnes, A Plus and Afia Schwarzenegger as panellists.
Background
Chairman Wontumi had dragged Afia Schwarzenegger and the other contemnors including United Television (UTV) to court after she and the other contemnors decided to run commentary on a case pending before the court during an entertainment show, the United Showbiz, broadcasted on UTV in July this year.
Counsel for applicant, Maurice Ampaw, who led the prosecution, argued that the culprit ought to be penalised to deter others from making such unsubstantiated claims
In the affidavit in support of the motion to commit the respondents to prison for contempt of court, Lawyer Ampaw said on the Saturday,July 9, 2021 edition of the United Showbiz, an entertainment programme aired by the UTV, the station, host and the executive producer offered their platform to other panellists to discussed Afia Schwarzenegger’s alleged romantic affair with Chairman Wontumi, which he said was a subject matter for determination by the court, stressing that it was subjudice, hence the action in court.
Lawyer Ampaw, who spoke to the Daily Graphic after the judgment, said they are happy with the outcome, stressing that everyone one involved will learn the hard lesson, especially those who think they can undermine the Judiciary.
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