High Court Judge, Justice Adrian Fisher yesterday Wednesday 23rd November, 2022 found the Chairman of the Interim Transitional Governance Committee (ITGC) of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), Alfred Peter Conteh guilty of Contempt of Court and further squashed some decisions taken by all parties.

The Judge fined Alfred Peter Conteh Le50million old notes or an imprisonment of 30 days pending an affidavit filed by him to the court undertaking to comply in the future with all court orders not later than Wednesday 30th November, 2022 at 4:00p.m.

Justice Fischer ruled that a committee of five is to be formed within the Interim Transitional Governing Committee (ITGC) by simple majority to resolve membership issues.

The Justice further ruled that members are ought to be reinstated through a convention and therefore the Interim Chairman acted beyond is power to admit such people. “The Chairman of the ITGC has no powers to appoint executive members to act in regions. They are not NAC to form such bodies. He has no such authority to appoint interim chairman. The decision to appoint Interim Chairmen is illegal. The Chairman acted illegally and it is therefore null and void,” Justice Adrian Fischer stated.

The Judge further noted that the press release on 4th August 2022 issued by Peter Conteh suspending some members of the ITGC cannot stand and all issues stated there are void.

The contempt proceedings had been brought against Alfred Peter Conteh by other parties through their legal representative, Alpha Jalloh Esq. for Contempt of Court based on alleged unilateral decisions taken by the Interim Chairman contrary to the dictates of Justice Fischer’s court orders.

Delivering his ruling, the learned Judge stressed that all the unilateral decisions taken by the Plaintiff Contemnor (Alfred Peter Conteh) were his invention and violation of the 20th April, 2022 judgement.

He said Alfred Peter Conteh has no mandate to question the composition of the membership of the ITGC as they are only an Interim body of the APC charged with the responsibilities to man the affairs of the party and prepare them for the election of new national executive members and flagbearer at the National Delegates’ Conference (NDC).

The unilateral decisions taken by the ITGC Chairman included the reinstatement of the sacked former Vice President Samuel Sam Sumana, the appointments of District Chairmen, members of the Transitional Interim Independence Election Management Committee (TIIEMC) amongst others.

He further gave an order for the composition of the TIIEMC that has to be determined by the ITGC Chairman, APC Leaders in Parliament, TIIEMC Chairman, APC Women’s Congress, National Young Congress and the Diaspora Region, who were al given quotas of members they should appoint.
The TIIEMC was also ordered to conduct all lower-level elections within 45 days which shall end on the 19the January, 2023.

The Court also ordered the ITGC to hold the National Delegates Conference later than 29th January, 2023.