Chief Pleads For Mercy

THE PARAMOUNT Chief of Badu Traditional Area in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo region, Nana Boakye Yiadom II, has found himself on the wrong side of the law after he was recently convicted for contempt of court by a Sunyani High Court. The court presided over by Justice Ofosu Quartey on May 30 convicted the Omanhene of contempt in a case brought against him by four Divisional Chiefs of the area, namely Nana Asare Boakye, Krontihene, Nana Kofode Kwame, Benkumhene, Nana Kwame Sebe, Akwamuhene and Nana Amponsah Gyan, Twafohene. The court however deferred sentence to another date and asked the chief to purge himself of the contempt, which the Omanhene has quickly taken advantage of. In order to escape the wrath of the law, Nana Boakye Yiadom on June 7, wrote to the court pleading with the judge to temper justice with mercy. An excerpt of the letter which was captioned �Purging Myself of Contempt,� read �I sincerely apologize to the Honourable Court for any conduct on my part which has resulted into contempt of court. I have already taken steps to speak to all the Divisional/Sub-chiefs who have agreed to step down and make way for every dispute to be resolved between myself and the Applicants before any judicial forum,� the Omanhene humbly stated, adding �In the light of the foregoing, I hope this Honourable Court would accordingly temper justice with mercy.� At its sitting last Wednesday, the court accepted the chief�s plea and consequently lifted the contempt conviction. It also rescinded its decision to slap the sentence on him. Counsel for the applicants, lawyer Oduro told Daily Guide that the court could have either slapped a heavy fine on the chief or imprisoned him if the judge had not given him the opportunity to purge himself. The Omanhene was dragged to the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs about a decade ago over a missing treasury at the palace. According to the Krontihene, the Omanhene, just after he was summoned, travelled outside the country and spent four years there which derailed attempts by the House to resolve the matter. He explained that when the paramount chief returned from the US, some of the seats in the traditional area were vacant and he decided to install two sub-chiefs to fill the positions. But the move was fiercely resisted by the divisional chiefs because of the pending issue at the house of chiefs. They therefore filed a writ at the court in 2008 to restrain the chief. Judgment on that case is yet to be passed because the judge has been transferred to a different court. However, while that suit was still pending, the Omanhene went ahead to install four other divisional chiefs early this year, compelling the Krontihene and three others to file a contempt case at the high court which led to the chief�s conviction.