Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) officer, Emmanuel Ayitah Quansah, was given a 2-day jail term for assaulting a court bailiff.
He was found guilty of contempt of court after it was established that he and his household “teamed up to beat up the Bailiff” who was performing an official duty.
The bailiff was in the officer’s house to serve on him a process relating to a case in which he is the respondent, but he said the victim should have served him at his office.
Pronouncing Ayitah Quansah’s sentence, Justice Sarah Aryee, a Justice of the High Court condemned the recent penchant for some members of the public to attack court bailiffs, adding the time has come for the trend to cease.
“Counsel for the Judicial Service has informed the court about how Bailiffs are constantly assaulted. This Canker has to be nibbed in the bud.
“The Respondent is found Guilty of Contempt of Court since he failed to purge himself when the court gave him the opportunity to do so before the court.
“The Respondent is sentenced to a Custodial Sentence of two (2) days imprisonment,” the judge ruled.
Before Ayitah Quansah was convicted, the lawyers of the victim led by Theophilus Donkor, Counsel for the Judicial Service Staff Association had told the court that, the attention of the Association has been drawn to a recent surge in the assault of bailiffs who are performing their official duties.
He added that being a Serving Fire Service Officer Ayitah Quansah should have known that the Bailiff was performing his official duties.
“If he had any challenge with the process or the mode the Bailiff was using, he could have come to Court to verify,” Donkor argued.
The court said that from its record, the Bailiff was entrusted with a process to serve on the Respondent.
Credit to Pulse Ghana
