The Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing, Dr. Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, has refuted claims by a Ho High Court that he has consistently failed to turn up in court over a contempt motion against him.

He is wanted by the court over a contempt motion filed against him in connection with properties destroyed during the execution of the Ada Sea Defence project.

The court, presided over by Justice Patrick Baayeh said the Minister and two other directors at the Ministry had failed to appear before the court to answer the charge of contempt leveled against him, and accordingly instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to apprehend him to appear at the court on April, 15, 2016.

But the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, Abraham Otabil, has denied the claims, saying the Minister and the two other directors have never refused to appear in court to answer questions on the case as suggested.

“The Minister is being represented by the Chief Administrator or in other words the Chief Director of the Ministry and the Director in charge of the project. In-fact, there has never been in a case where they have not appeared in court. For almost all the five times that the court did mention, this gentleman had appeared in court on behalf of the Ministry.”

Mr. Otabil further clarified that it is not the intention of the Minister to disrespect the court in anyway.

“At the time the project began, throughout about 70 or 80 % of the project lifespan, the current Minister was not present at the Ministry but that notwithstanding the Minister has always respected the decision of the court and has asked the two gentlemen to be in court and there has never been a situation where they have failed to be in court. It is not the intention of the Minister to disrespect the court in any case.”