Court Dismisses Contempt Application Against the Vice-Chancellor and Two Other Officers.
Cost of GH¢15,000 Awarded Against Mr. Henry Tackie.
Cape Coast, April 8, 2020: The Cape Coast High Court, presided by his Lordship Justice Emmanuel Lodoh on 8th April, 2020 dismissed an application by Mr. Henry Tackie, Group Managing Director of Barony Construction Ltd. and Tacoa Construction Ltd. seeking to commit Professor Joseph Ghartey Ampiah (Vice-Chancellor, UCC), Mr. Philip Ntim Owusu (Director of Physical Development and Estate Management, UCC) and Solomon Faakye (Head of Legal, UCC) for contempt of Court. The Court, in addition, awarded cost of Fifteen Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHc15,000.00) against Applicant, Mr. Henry Tackie.
The Judge acquitted and discharged the respondents of the contempt charge for lack of evidence.
Mr. Henry Tackie filed an application through his Lawyer, Charles William Zwennes, Esq. of Gaisie Zwennes Hughes & Co. for contempt before the High Court, Cape Coast, alleging that the three (3) officers of UCC had seized property whilst a matter concerning the property was pending before the Court.
Background
The two companies were awarded four (4) separate contracts by the University of Cape Coast with a total contract sum of about GH¢ 40million in 2014 and 2015. It was subsequently discovered that the companies through their Managing Director, Mr. Henry Tackie, presented fake bank guarantees to secure the Contracts. Consequently, the University Council rescinded the Contracts and brought action against the two companies for recovery of advance payment and fraudulent misrepresentation. A complaint of fraud was later lodged at the Cape Coast Regional Police Command against Mr. Henry Tackie.
In November 2019, Mr. Henry Tackie caused to be published in the Chronicle and other media, series of articles including: “UCC Runs Amok – Ignores Arbitration Process and Breaks into Controversial School of Business Building”; “UCC Vice-Chancellor has disobeyed Court Order- Contractors”; “UCC VC Dodges Bailiff for Contempt Suit?”. Thereafter, Mr. Henry Tackie initiated the contempt application which has been dismissed.