APC to Pay Le50 Million Fine as Party Loses Contempt Case Against Alfred Peter Conteh

The All People’s Congress (APC) party has been found guilty of contempt of Court in a matter with one of its members Alfred Peter Conteh.

The APC Party, as the 3rd defendant in the contempt application was found guilty by Justice Adrian Fisher for failing to comply and implement an earlier Court order dated 19th April 2021 and 9th August 2021 respectively.

Awoko reports that the second defendant, Ambassador Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh who is the National Secretary General of the APC party was found Not Guilty of any breach by the Court and was discharged.

The Court exonerated the second defendant by not holding him responsible for holding elections in 125 constituencies instead of 132 before proceeding to the Emergency convention for the adoption of the party’s drafted constitution.

In his ruling yesterday on the contempt application filed by Lawyer J. M. Jengo dated October 2021, the presiding Judge Adrian Fisher held the third defendant responsible for breaching a court order and imposed a Fifty Million Leones fine on the APC party.

The fine according to Justice Fisher is to be paid on the fourth week.

The Judge also ordered the APC party to issue a public statement within fourteen days of how they intend to resolve the issue of membership. “Failing to comply within the 14 days period, the third defendant APC will pay the above sum fine”, Justice Fisher ordered.

The APC party was found guilty for failing to conduct Delegates election in all 132 constituencies and for failing to resolve party membership as claimed in the affidavit of the petition Attorney Rashid Santigie Sesay swore to in October 2021.

Justice Adrian Fisher described the defendant’s action as deliberate disrespect, blatant disorder and a nonchalant attitude with no excuse, and no feasible to carry on with a re-run elections in the remaining seven constituencies including Kono, Bo and Mambolo.

No order of cost was imposed, as both sides of the plaintiff and defendant agreed to bear their cost. Justice Adrian Fisher has adjourned the substantive matter of the petitioner Alfred Peter Conteh to the 8th December, 2021.

Lawyer Africanus Sorie Sesay represented the second defendant while Lawyer Sulaiman B. Koroma and Ady Macauley represented the third defendant APC.