Drama unfolded at the premises of the Bolgatanga High Court during mid-morning hours on Thursday, October 9, 2023, when a parliamentary aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Nabdam Constituency Charles Taleog Ndanbon threatened to beat up a lawyer and another.
The Aspirant who doubles as the Upper East Regional Organizer of the NPP blatantly forgot his enviable position and went berserk at the court premises like a wild animal, threatening to physically assault the lawyer for Earl International Group Gold Ghana Limited, Lawyer Joseph Awakpasa and the company’s Public Relations Officer Ebenezer Bognaab.
The incident which left onlookers at the courtyard visibly confused occurred right after the hearing of a case Mr. Ndanbon brought before the Bolgatanga High Court against the mining company was adjourned.
‘Champion Man’ as he is affectionately called stormed the court in the company of a group of men believed to be thugs he was ready to unleash on the officials and Lawyer of the mining company.
Charles Ndanbon dragged the company to court over what he said was a breach of contract and unfair treatment when the company metamorphized into a large-scale mining company thereby subsuming the 25-acre mining concession of Mr Ndanbon. Though a 2% gross production is currently being given to licensed small-scale miners whose concessions fell within the operational area of the company, Charles Ndanbon is in court seeking a higher percentage of shares of the production output.
Shortly after the case which has travelled for over the past two years was called for hearing on Thursday, October 9, 2023, Lawyer for the plaintiff prayed the sitting High Court Judge Justice Charles Adjei Wilson to grant a brief discussion with the defendants in the judge’s chamber. The request was granted and the judge together with all the parties involved in the case and the court registrar convened in the office of the judge.
After few minutes of deliberation, Justice Charles Adjei Wilson returned to his seat and in consultation with the lawyers for both sides, adjourned the case to December 18.
The embarrassing spectacle ignited when the New Patriotic Party parliamentary hopeful was loudly heard in the court lobby yelling insults at the defendants while being sandwiched by a group of heavily built men who appeared ready to act on the instruction of Mr. Ndanbon.
“You will see, you are thieves, thieves!! I don’t care to go to cells. You think you can frighten me with court? I will deal with you,” Mr Ndanbon fumed.
Not even the silence of the officials and lawyer of Earl International Group Gold Limited as they walked down the staircase of the court prevented Charles Ndanbon from continuing to inflict verbal attacks.
The drama continued at the car park when he in the company of his charged guards continued to make violent advances with unprintable words at Lawyer Joseph Awakpasa and Ebenezer Bognaab as the two briskly walked up to their car to speed off the court premises.
When contacted by Mynewgh.com, Mr. Bognaab disclosed that the threats and actions of Mr. Ndanbon have been reported to the police for further action.
“We have made an official report to the police on this matter. This is not the first time Charles has threatened me. He does it almost anytime we come to court. He also threatened to get our lawyer beaten and I have all that on record. I don’t know why he will be threatening my life for just doing my work. It is a court case and so if you have brought your case before the court and have your lawyer, why then do you have to always be threatening me when I only come to represent my company in court? We are not taking these threats lightly and we will take it up seriously,” Ebenezer Bognaab said.
Lawyer Joseph Awakpasa noted that the conduct of the plaintiff is a distraction from the ongoing process as it has the propensity to scare the defendants from coming to court.
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