The Accra High Court has sentenced three pastors to five days imprisonment each for contempt of court.

Apostle Samuel Anang Sowah, Bishop Abraham Adjetey Adjei and Bishop Daniel Buernor Tokoli, formerly of the Holy Apostolic Reformed Church (HARC), were sent to prison for defying orders of the court not to interfere with the activities of the church.

Apart from slapping the three contemnors with a term of imprisonment, the court presided over by Justice William Boampong, also awarded a cost of GH¢1,000 each against the three pastors in favour of the church, which was the applicant in the contempt case.

On October 27 last year, the court, in an earlier contempt case, convicted the three pastors for contempt of court for holding service at the Tema, Teshie and Nungua branches of the church despite a pending application for interlocutory injunction, restraining them from conducting church services.

The court, however, cautioned and discharged the three pastors, who had been dismissed by the leadership of the church. In its current ruling sentencing the three pastors to prison, the court held that despite the contempt conviction on October 27, 2023, and the caution, the three pastors went ahead and did the very thing the court cautioned them not to do by holding service at the three branches of the church.

The pastors, the court held, defied the court orders and went ahead to conduct church services at the branches on October 29, 2023, two days after they were convicted for contempt.

Respect the law

Delivering the sentence, Justice Boampong held that by defying the orders of the court, the three pastors had breached an order of the court which had not been suspended, thus bringing into disrepute the administration of justice.

“The court earlier cautioned and discharged the respondents in an earlier contempt case, but they went ahead and repeated what the court restrained them to do.

The Respondents should therefore be made to respect the law at this time. I sentence each of the three respondents to five days imprisonment,” Justice Boampong ordered.

Suit

The Trustees of the HARC sued the three pastors, accusing them of illegally breaching the constitution of the church by acting independently and failing to accept the leadership of the church.

Among other reliefs, the plaintiffs wanted the court to declare that the three branches which the three pastors had taken over were subject to the control of the headquarters of the HARC.

The church further wanted an order from the court restraining the three pastors from having anything to do with the church so long as they refused to obey the direction of the headquarters of the church.