A contempt application initiated by Jonathan Holm, through his lawyer Bright Akwetey against the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over the National Cathedral saga has been dismissed by the Supreme Court.
A seven member panel presided over by Justice Jones Dotse while dismissing the application said the president is immune from both criminal and civil actions as stipulated by Article 57 (4 )and( 5).
The court said the same constitution while giving the president immunity also prescribed solution on how to deal with the president with impeachment.
The court described the application as incompetent and one that has no merit.
Lawyer Akwetey while moving the case said even though the constitution as per Article 57 stipultes that the president cannot be sue while in office but the President can be sued when he is personally liable for crime.
According to him when the President deliberately commit a crime, he is amenable to legal action and therefore prayed the court to commit the President for contempt.
A chief state attorney Dorothy Afriyie Ansah, raised a preliminary objection saying that the President is immuned from both criminal and civil actions as per article 57 (4 )and (5) as a sitting President.
She argued that the President can be sued three years after leaving office.
The Chief State Attorney however, prayed for the application to be dismissed.
Yvonne Asare Offei
