Attorney General to drag #FixTheCountry campaigner to court over contempt

Godfred Yeboah Dame, Attorney General and Minister of Justice has indicated he would be forced to initiate contempt action against Barker Vormawor, a member of the #FixTheCountry campaign.

He finds some comments by Vormawor on social media to be very offensive and he warned him to desist from it.

Barker Vormawor, who uses the Facebook handle Barker H Vogues on Monday morning, while the two parties were in court, wrote on his Facebook timeline, “Neho! Godfred Dame just stepped into court. The puppet master reveals himself.”

This did not go down well with the AG.

Dame, as the AG, was in court to argue why the Republic seeks to restrain the #FixTheCountry campaigners from embarking on a demonstration.

Lawyers for the #FixTheCountry campaigners had raised objections to the AG’s involvement in the case which they believe is against the Ghana Police Service.

Godfred Dame at the end of his arguments in court read the post by Barker Vormawor which he indicated was sent to him.

He indicated that it was inappropriate for Vormawor to write such a thing on his Facebook time.

He prayed the court to note the statement from the campaigner and advised lawyers for the campaigners to caution their clients from such commentary.

But Justice Ruby Aryeetey urged Godfred Yeboah Dame to develop a thick skin and ignore comments such as these.

Dame responded; he has [a] thick skin but he wanted to raise the matter because the individual who made the comment is a party in the present case before the court.

He added, he will initiate contempt proceedings against individuals who make such statements on social media that do not help the work of the court.

Barker Vormawor, in another post sighted by GhanaWeb after the AG raised the concerns in court, wrote:

“Another perspective. The contempt dier they through it about like confetti.

“Yoo. I hear. Waiting on it. I honestly don’t even understand how it is possible. But he is AG of the Realm, and in Ghana, power is power. He even promised to get the judge a new chair; and the court recorder a massage.

“Anyway, for the record, how can he independently hold me in contempt when there is no court order flouted? Or he is initiating proceedings on his own behalf, to avenge his thin skin, and passing it off, as contempt of court.

“I really will appreciate some help in making legal sense of what the PM was saying exactly.”