Deborah Seyram Adablah Jailed for 45 Days Over Contempt of Court
Deborah Seyram Adablah, a former National Service personnel who made headlines in 2023 for filing a controversial lawsuit against her former partner, Ernest Kwasi Nimako, has been sentenced to 45 days in prison by the Accra High Court.
The sentencing follows a bench warrant issued against her after she allegedly made contemptuous comments about Justice John Bosco the judge presiding over her case. Adablah was found guilty of defaming the court by publicly accusing the judge of bias and unethical conduct, and for questioning the integrity of Ghana’s judiciary system.
Her comments, described by the court as scandalous and in contempt, included calling the contempt charges against her “dead on arrival. The court ruled that her remarks were not only disrespectful but also intended to discredit the judiciary.
This development is the latest twist in the high-profile legal dispute that began when Adablah sued banking executive Ernest Kwasi Nimako. She claimed that during their intimate relationship, Nimako promised her several material benefits—including a car, rent for three years, monthly allowances, a business capital lump sum and financial support for health-related issues—which she said he later failed to deliver.
However, in 2023, the court dismissed her claims, describing the arrangement as being based on an immoral and illegal foundation. The court also ordered her to return the disputed car and awarded costs against her. Reports indicate that she failed to comply with the court’s order to surrender the vehicle by the given deadline of May 16, 2023.
In response to the contempt ruling, Adablah took to social media to express her frustration, stating, I never knew there was a bench warrant, but it has been issued against me… I’m not going to run away. I will present myself before the court because I am a bona fide Ghanaian.
She also defended her public comments about the judiciary, claiming they were not insults but critical observations meant to raise awareness about workers’ rights and systemic issues. She referenced her own experience, saying, This judge, John Bosco, claims I insulted him because I spoke against a ruling in which he admitted the execution was wrongly done but still refused to set aside the application.
Deborah further questioned how public funds are used, especially when young workers like herself face challenges. We buy pads all the time. It’s taxpayers’ money that pays government officials, and they’re sidelining us when we need help. I won’t keep quiet about it, she added.
Despite her explanation, the court deemed her conduct inappropriate and a threat to the sanctity of the judicial process, resulting in her sentencing to serve 45 days at Nsawam Prison.
The case continues to spark public debate around workplace relationships, judicial accountability, and freedom of expression in Ghana.
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