The Tema High Court has fined socialite, Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, popularly known as Afia Schwarzenegger, an amount of GH¢60,000 (5,000 penalty units) in a contempt case pending before it.

The Court also fined the entertainment personality GH¢5000 to be paid to Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi, for making defamatory comments against him.

Afia Schwarzenegger was sentenced to 10 days in prison for contempt of court on December 1, last year, however, she was absent on the day of the pronouncement.

She made an appearance on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in the company of her lawyer, Adrian Duke Amaning, who moved a motion on notice for a variation of the sentence.

Under Order 50 Rule 4(1) and Rule 5 of the High Court (Civil Procedures) Rules which deal with the suspension of an order and discharge of a person committed, respectively, he prayed the court to suspend the sentence.

Order 50 Rule 4(1) states that the court, which makes an order of committal, may by an order direct that the execution of the order of committal shall be suspended for such period or on such other terms and conditions as it may specify, while Rule 5 (1) states that the court may, on the application of any person committed to prison for contempt of court, discharge the person.

Mr Amaning further indicated that his client had shown remorse and had since published her apology to the court.

The court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ankamah at its sitting on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, granted the application of the convict and substituted the jail sentence to 5000 penalty units.

The court further ordered her to sign a bond of good behaviour for 36 months. She was also ordered not to comment on the case on any platform during the pendency of the bond.

The court directed that any breach of the orders will warrant her being hauled back to the court.

The court said considering the fact that the applicant has apologised and shown remorse, she deserves a second chance.

Background

Chairman Wontumi had dragged Afia Schwarzenegger and other contemnors including United Television (UTV) to court after they commented on a case pending before the court on the United Showbiz entertainment show, broadcast on UTV in July 2022.

Three other contemnors namely Felicity Ama Agyeman aka Nana Ama Mcbrown, Kwame Asare Obeng, alias Kwame A-Plus and Emmanuel Barnes alias Mr Logic were fined GH¢60,000 each (5,000 penalty units), which they have since paid.

A fourth person, Fadda Dickson Narh, an Executive Producer of UTV, was pardoned by the court after the court held that he showed remorse before the case was brought to it by apologising on UTV.