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Professor Michael Kpessa Whyte, a lecturer at the University of Ghana and member of the opposition NDC, has been found guilty of contempt of the Supreme Court of Ghana. The conviction was made by a five-member panel led by Chairperson Mariama Owusu after Prof. Kpessa Whyte pleaded guilty to the charge.
The court took action against the lecturer following a series of tweets he posted, which criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling on the case of James Gyakye Quayson, the former Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency in the Central Region. The court had directed parliament to remove Quayson’s name from the legislative records, stating that he was wrongfully elected because he failed to renounce his Canadian citizenship before the elections.
In response to the court’s ruling, Prof. Kpessa Whyte expressed his discontent on Twitter, referring to the Supreme Court as a “Stupid Court” and criticizing the delivery of justice ideologically. Subsequently, he was told by the Supreme Court to explain why he should not be held accountable.
During the May 30, 2023, court hearing, Prof. Whyte initially pleaded “not guilty with an explanation,” prompting Justice Mariama Owusu to seek clarification on his plea. However, his legal team, led by Dr. Justice Srem Sai, appealed for mercy on his behalf, emphasizing that Prof. Whyte had retracted his statements and apologized to the court. They assured the court that such an incident would not happen again and pledged to uphold the judiciary’s integrity.
Prof. Kpessa Whyte’s defense team asked for leniency in sentencing, citing his remorse and apology and his efforts to publish the apology in the Ghanaian Times. Prof. Kpessa Whyte’s defense team asked for leniency in sentencing, noting his remorse and apology and his efforts to issue the apology in the Ghanaian Times. They pleaded for mercy from the court, acknowledging the regrettable nature of the incident.
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Source: Omanghana.com
