The Tema High Court has dismissed Chairman Wontumi’s most recent lawsuit against controversial socialite Afia Schwarzenegger, in which he claimed she had violated the conditions of her release from a previous contempt case.
Captain R. T. D. Nkrabeah Effah Darteh, Esq., for Afia, claims that his client never received a summons to appear in court on May 17, 2023. He continued by saying that the matter was dismissed because Chairman Wontumi and his legal team weren’t present in court.
What prompted this was a live TV discussion between Nana Ama McBrown, Afia Schwarzenegger, Mr. Aplus, and Mr. Logic about a court matter between Afia Schwarzenegger and Mr. Chairman Wontumi.
Afia Schwarzenegger had claimed on UTV’s United Showbiz that she had been sexually involved with the New Patriotic Party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Antwi Bosiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Angered by her outbursts, Chairman Wontumi sued Afia Schwarzenegger for defamation on the basis that she had lied. While the case was ongoing, Afia was cited for contempt by Wontumi’s legal team for running public commentary on a TV programme about the case before the court.
She was thus sentenced to 10 days in prison by the court for the contempt charge, but she was not present when the judgement was pronounced, forcing the court to issue a bench warrant for her arrest.
Despite a branch warrant, Afia Schwarzenegger never served her sentence. She later surrendered, issued an apology, and had her attorney ask for a fine in place of prison time. A bond of good behaviour for 36 months and a fine of GHC60,000 were given in place of a jail term.
She was also warned that if she discussed the issue online at any time while the bond was active, she would face further punishment.
On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, during the court proceedings, Adrian Duke Amaning, Afia’s lawyer, stressed that her client had shown remorse, for which reason she came to the court with a written apology. He further sought permission from the court to have her client publish the apology.
But Chairman Wontumi thought the socialite didn’t follow the court’s directions, so his lawyers filed a new petition to hold her in contempt.
Parts of the statement read, “The counsel for and on behalf of the applicant herein will move this honourable court for an order praying the honourable court to punish the respondent herein for continuing contempt arising from respondent violation and disobedience to the terms of the judgement of this court.”
