The Supreme Court has overturned the contempt of court conviction previously handed down to Ernest Yaw Kumi, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akwatia, by the Koforidua High Court. In a significant ruling on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, the apex court also nullified the execution of a bench warrant that had been issued for Mr. Kumi's arrest by Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amadehe following the High Court conviction. Consequently, Justice Amadehe has been barred from sentencing Mr. Kumi on the contempt charge and is prohibited from further presiding over the case.

The decision was reached by a 4-1 majority. Justices Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Ernest Gaewu, Henry Kwofi, and Adjei Frimpong formed the majority, with Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, the President of the bench, dissenting. This ruling effectively reaffirms Mr. Kumi's status as the Member of Parliament for Akwatia, as the Supreme Court granted his applications to set aside the contempt conviction, quash an interim injunction that had barred him from acting as the elected representative, and prohibit the High Court judge from proceeding with sentencing. The Supreme Court quashed the contempt application, the High Court's ruling, and all related proceedings, meaning the Akwatia legislator is no longer barred from holding himself out as an MP.

The case originated when the Koforidua High Court convicted Mr. Kumi for contempt. A bench warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest after he failed to appear in court. The contempt charge stemmed from Mr. Kumi's alleged disobedience of an interim injunction issued on January 7, 2025. This injunction barred him from being sworn in and admitted as the Member of Parliament-elect for the Akwatia Constituency due to an ongoing legal dispute concerning his election.

Despite the existing court order, Mr. Kumi presented himself in Parliament and was sworn in as MP on January 7, 2025. In the High Court proceedings, the presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amadehe, had ruled that Mr. Kumi consistently failed to appear in court throughout the contempt case. Justice Amadehe also dismissed a letter from the Minority Caucus, which attempted to explain Mr. Kumi's absence by citing his engagement with parliamentary duties. The judge rejected this explanation, stating that accepting it would contradict his prior ruling.