Supreme Court cautions, discharges Kpessa-Whyte after contempt conviction
After convicting Prof Michael Kpessa-Whyte for contempt of court on his own guilty plea, the Supreme Court on Tuesday cautioned and discharged him following his apology and withdrawal of the words used.
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The court decided to discharge the contemnor after showing mercy on him and taking into consideration his apology as well his pleas of mitigation by his lawyer.
The court, however, advised him to be of good behaviour as many people look up to him.
Professor Michael Kpessa-Whyte has accordingly been discharged after the Supreme Court had convicted him for contempt of court for scandalising the court.
Prof Kpessa-Whyte initially pleaded not guilty to the charge of scandalising the court but later changed it to guilty with explanation and then finally guilty, reports Graphic Online’s Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson from the Supreme Court.
A five-member panel of the court, presided over by Justice Mariama Owusu, convicted Prof Kpessa-Whyte on his own plea of guilty.
The court went into chambers to decide his fate after listening to a submission of mitigation by his counsel, Dr Justice Srem Sai.
His counsel pleaded with the court to have mercy on his client, submitting that he had apologised and retracted the said contemptuous comments.
Related: Supreme Court convicts Kpessa-Whyte for contempt
Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson reports that the Supreme Court after considering Prof Kpessa-Whyte's fate in chambers returned to caution him.
He was accordingly discharged.
Read also: Supreme Court cites Prof. Kpessa-Whyte for contempt
