Chief and Assembly Member fined for Contempt of Court in UCC Land Dispute

The Chief of Kwaprow, Nana Kwesi Mensah III, and the Assembly Member of Kwaprow, John Kilson Mensah, have been fined GH6000 each for contempt of court by a Cape Coast High Court. In default, the two will serve three months each in prison. The court also ordered them to sign a bond of good behaviour for 18 months.

The two contemnors were found guilty of forcefully entering the office of the Head of Legal Affairs at the University of Cape Coast, Solomon Faakye, on October 11, 2022. They threatened Faakye with death if he continued to conduct cases concerning the encroachment of UCC land by them and their community. The court ruled that their actions brought the reputation of the court into disrepute and were therefore contemptuous of the court.

For the most part, UCC has been initiating several legal actions to recover the university’s legally acquired lands from some chiefs and to stop them from selling portions of the lands to unsuspecting Ghanaians. Land measuring over 400 acres was acquired for the University of Cape Coast by an Executive Instrument 13 of 1972.

In January 2023, members of the governing council of UCC toured the university lands that had been encroached upon by private developers and individuals. The council resolved to address the massive land encroachment and had taken lawful steps to reclaim all encroached lands.

The ruling sends a clear message that the court will not tolerate any attempts to disrupt the work of officers of the court. The UCC community is hopeful that this will serve as a deterrent to others who may attempt to encroach on the university’s land. It is also a clear indication that the rule of law prevails in Ghana.