Former ARS leader convicted, fined for contempt of court
The High Court in Sogakope, presided over by Justice Doreen G. Boakye-Agyei has convicted former leader of the Apostles Revelation Society Church (ARS) and Chairman of the General Conference of the ARS, Rev Nyeenyami E. Wovenu and sentenced him to fines totalling of GH¢3,500 on two counts of contempt of court.
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In default, he will serve 24 days in prison.
Three other defendants in the case were also sentenced to various fines for their complicity in the case.
They are Raymond Wovenu, Nedo Wovenu and Rev Samuel Adjei.
This follows a suit brought before the court by an executive member of the church, Charles Agbolosoo, and six others, seeking reliefs of a declaration by the court that following the first General Conference (Governing body) of ARS held at the International Headquarters of the church at New Tadzewu in the Volta Region on September 26, 2020, Rev Wovenu therein was no longer the leader of the church.
Further, the applicants maintained that an order of the court was directed at Rev Wovenu to vacate the residence of the leader of the church located within the premises of the church.
The applicants also cited an order of perpetual injunction directed at Rev Wovenu, his servants, agents, privies, assigns, and successor in title, personal representatives and any person claiming through him from holding himself out as the leader of the church or himself out as the Chairman of the General Conference of the ARS.
The applicants contended that notwithstanding the orders of the court against the respondents, they deliberately set out to disobey the orders of the court in an effort to bring the administration of justice into disrepute and erode the authority and mandate of the court.
For instance, the applicants stated that Rev Wovenu on October 24, 2022, published a programme for the 83rd anniversary of the church, contrary to the orders of the court prohibiting him from doing so.
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Among other violations of the court order, the applicants stated that the second and third respondents claiming to be acting upon the instructions of Rev Wovenu, locked up all entrances of the church and prevented members from accessing the church premises, denying the planning committee members access to the premises and hurled stones at them.
Giving judgement on June 6, the court held that the acts of disobedience by the respondents were wilful and deliberate.
“Even when they were given the opportunity to purge themselves of the contumacious act, they elected to further act in contempt of the court by deceiving the court with the wrong keys to the administration office and entrances to the chapel,” said the court.
Subsequently, Rev Wovenu was convicted and sentenced to a fine of GH¢2000, in default 14 days in prison custody; while the other respondents were convicted and sentenced to GH¢1000 each, in default of which they would serve 10 days each in prison custody in default.
“So, they learn their lesson that it is not fashionable to disobey the orders of the court with impunity,” the court added.
In the other suit, it was the case of the applicants that pursuant to the orders of the court, they (applicants) applied for an Order of Writ of Possession of the Cash Office of the church which application was granted and the applicants placed in possession of the Cash Office by the registrar of the court.
However, the respondents deliberately set out to disobey the orders of the court, and in one instance drove the applicants from the cash office, changed the locks to the office and continued to be in charge of the cash office.
For those other acts of wilful and deliberate disobedience, the court convicted Rev Wovenu and sentenced to a fine of Gh1, 500, in default serve 10 days in prison custody, while the other respondents were sentenced to GH 500 each, in default of which they will serve seven days in behind bars.