I Put Fear In The Judge- Lawrence Ampaw Recalls How He Won Against Afia Schwar In Court
Lawyer Lawrence Ampah has fondly recalled the incident where he successfully exerted pressure on the judge overseeing the Afia Schwarzenegger and Chairman Wontumi case, ensuring a fair trial and safeguarding his reputation.
The celebrity lawyer who represented Chairman Wontumi in the high-profile case said that during the court proceedings, he boldly issued a warning to the judge, emphasizing the importance of impartiality and the potential consequences of any attempts to manipulate the case.
In an interview with Fiifi Pratt on Kingdom FM, Maurice Ampaw expressed that this legal battle between Chairman Wontumi and Afia Schwarzenegger stands out as one of the most contentious cases he has ever handled in his illustrious legal career.
“Most of the cases I handle are controversial. I took UTV, Afia Schwarzenegger, Fadda Dickson, Kwame A Plus and others to court for contempt when Afia claimed she had sexual intercourse with Chairman Wontumi. It was a tough case that had the interest of the public.
“After citing them [Despite Media Group] for contempt, they took five lawyers against me alone. Knowing very well the company has influence, I went to the court to threaten the judge. In an open court, I warned him that the case has a serious social media presence and that any attempt for him to be influenced would be exposed,” he said.
Backstory
In 2022, socialite Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, also known as Afia Schwarzenegger, was sentenced to 10 days in prison for contempt of court by the High Court in Tema.
When the judgment was delivered, Afia Schwarzenegger was not present at the time; hence, the court issued a bench warrant for her arrest.
Alongside Afia Schwarzenegger, four other individuals involved in the case filed by businessman and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), were also found guilty of contempt. However, three of them were fined, while one was pardoned.
The three individuals who were fined GH¢60,000 each (5,000 penalty units) or faced a two-month jail sentence in default were Felicity Ama Agyeman (Nana Ama Mcbrown), Kwame Asare Obeng (Kwame A Plus), and Emmanuel Barnes (Mr Logic).
On the other hand, the court pardoned Fadda Dickson Narh, the Executive Producer of United Television (UTV), as he had shown remorse by issuing an apology through a publication on UTV before the case was brought to court.
The case stemmed from an episode of the United Showbiz program aired on UTV, where McBrown hosted and Afia Schwarzenegger, Barnes, and A Plus served as panellists.
Chairman Wontumi took legal action against Afia Schwarzenegger and the other individuals involved after they provided commentary on a case that was pending before the court during the entertainment show in July of that year.
The applicant’s counsel, Maurice Ampaw, argued that a penalty should be imposed on the offender to discourage others from making baseless claims.
