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The Accra Human Rights Court yesterday adjourned to May 17, 2021, the case in which a lawyer is seeking the court to jail musician, Rex Omar, and 14 others for contempt of court.
Mr Gabriel Awunyo, who is representing George William Dickson, veteran musician, Akosua Adjepong, and two others, was in court on Wednesday to move the contempt motion against the respondents, but was told the presiding judge, Justice Gifty Addo was indisposed.
Mr Awunyo has stated that the respondents disrespected the court by electing board members of Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) when there was a pending suit concerning the election.
He said his clients filed the instant action in their capacity as members of GHAMRO, a company limited by guarantee and registered under the laws of Ghana.
On November 4, 2020, the applicants initiated action against the respondents, who are board members of GHAMRO, and subsequently served respondents with the process.
The applicants said they wanted the court to injunct the election of members to the GHAMRO board until the final determination of the matter.
The applicants averred that since the commencement of the action, Yaw Oxbon, a respondent, had at all material times represented the respondents in court.
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In the affidavit in support of the motion to commit the respondents to prison for contempt of court, counsel for applicants, Mr Awunyo stated that the respondents had openly discussed the matter on radio, television and on social media about how they were determined to go on with the election of new board members of GHAMRO regardless of the lawsuit.
He said the contempt shown by the respondents followed an entrenched pattern of behavior over the years.
The applicants said they also filed another application and served on the respondents specifically to restrain them from holding elections to appoint a new board, and that the respondents were in court on April 15, this year, to confirm that the applicants’ interlocutory application was served on them.
However, the respondents went ahead to elect members on the April 19, 2021, the night before the motion was to be heard.
The conduct of the respondents, the lawyer argued was likely to prejudice a fair hearing of the motion.
He said the respondents were doing this with the full knowledge that there was a pending suit for injunction application which had been served on them seeking to restrain them from electing a new board, but continued unjustly to enrich themselves at the expense of the members.
Mr Awunyo contends that the only intent of the respondents was to bring the authority and administration of the law into disrespect and interfere with the pending litigation.
