Members of Parliament, whose primary functions include the enactment of laws, are generally expected to be law-abiding at all times.
When they fail, they are not treated with kid gloves, as the law is no respecter of persons, and they are dealt with just like any other citizens.
One such legislator who has recently received media and public attention is the Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Ernest Yaw Kumi. He is the latest MP to have a bench warrant issued for his arrest.
GhanaWeb takes a look at four MPs who have erred on the wrong side of the law and have had a court issue a bench warrant for their arrest in the last four years.
Ernest Yaw Kumi, MP for Akwatia
On February 19, 2025, a Koforidua High Court issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Ernest Yaw Kumi, the presumed winner of the Akwatia parliamentary seat in the Eastern Region, after convicting him of contempt of court.
The court issued the bench warrant for Kumi’s arrest after he failed to attend court.
The conviction followed his disobedience of an interim injunction against him on January 7, prohibiting him from being sworn in and admitted as the Member of Parliament-elect for the Akwatia constituency due to an ongoing legal contest over his election.
Despite this injunction, Mr. Kumi presented himself in Parliament to be sworn in on January 7, 2025.
The judge, Justice Senyo Amedahe, held that the convict, throughout the hearing of the contempt case, failed to appear in court in person.
He also rejected a letter from the minority side of Parliament claiming the MP was busy with parliamentary duties, hence his continuous absence from court.
The judge dismissed the letter, insisting he would be going against his own ruling should he accept the letter from the minority caucus.
Stephen Amoah, MP for Nhyiaeso
In 2021, the La Magistrate Court issued an arrest warrant for the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, Dr. Stephen Amoah, over his failure to appear before the court for flouting road traffic regulations.
The lawmaker and six other drivers were arrested on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, around the Airport Bypass during a police operation to arrest drivers of V8 vehicles who were not complying with road traffic regulations.
A police statement signed by the Director-General of Public Affairs, ACP Kwesi Ofori, stated that of the seven, only Dr. Amoah and another driver, Samuel, failed to appear before the court.
Five of the suspected drivers appeared before the court, where four—namely, Dominic Atuahene-Ababio, Daniel Boateng, Emmanuel Kofi Ofori, and Joseph Brown—were sentenced to pay a fine of One Thousand, Eight Hundred Ghana Cedis (GHC 1,800.00) each or, in default, serve three-month prison terms. All four convicted drivers paid their fines.
Another driver, Thomas Atinga, was convicted and ordered to sign a bond to be of good behavior for three months or, in default, serve a three-month prison term.
The statement further directed all police formations throughout the country to clamp down on recalcitrant drivers, especially those who drive V8 vehicles.
“They (recalcitrant drivers) are cautioned to stop flouting road traffic regulations or face the full rigors of the law if arrested,” the statement said.
“We are determined to enforce the laws of the country and therefore urge the public to support us in this endeavor.”
Francis-Xavier Sosu, MP for Madina
On November 29, 2021, the Kaneshie District Court in Accra issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the Madina MP, Francis-Xavier Sosu.
The warrant followed his absence from a hearing at the Kaneshie District Court on Monday morning.
Mr. Sosu had been absent from the two previous court hearings, citing parliamentary work.
However, according to correspondence from the court outlining exchanges between the Madina MP’s lawyer and the prosecution, the prosecution deemed the warrant necessary because the MP was showing disrespect to the court by being absent.
Mr. Sosu’s lawyer, however, argued that the MP was involved in work for the Constitutional and Legal Committee of Parliament, which had resumed public sittings on the anti-LGBTQ bill.
Mr. Sosu faced these legal challenges after leading a demonstration in his constituency to protest bad roads on October 25, 2021.
The police contended that the protest included some unlawful acts, leading to an attempt to arrest the MP. Mr. Sosu claimed that police manhandled him on the day of the protest when they first tried to arrest him.
As a result, he filed a complaint in Parliament against two police officers.
There were also police officers present at a church service to arrest the MP, although the police denied any attempt to arrest him at the church.
This compelled the police to secure a criminal summons for Mr. Sosu on November 8, 2021.
The MP, however, missed the court date because he was out of the country.
On November 16, 2021, he again failed to show up in court.
In response to his legal troubles, Mr. Sosu filed a motion seeking the enforcement of his right to freedom of movement, right to protest and demonstrate, right to personal liberty, right to freedom of expression, and protection against unlawful arrest and malicious prosecution.
The motion was accompanied by an injunction application to restrain any further arrest until a determination was made in the human rights case.
Affo Toffey, MP for Jomoro
On December 7, 2021, a Sekondi High Court issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Jomoro MP, Dorcas Affo Toffey, whose eligibility to contest the 2020 parliamentary election was being challenged on the grounds of dual citizenship.
Presiding over the case, Justice Sedina Agbemava issued the warrant following the MP’s absence from a court hearing on Monday.
A contempt case was filed against Madam Toffey by Joshua Emuah Kofie, a resident of Nuba-Mpataba in the constituency, after the MP allegedly failed to appear before the court registrar to produce documents proving her supposed renunciation of her Ivorian citizenship, as ordered by the Sekondi High Court.
Earlier in 2021, the NDC legislator was sued for allegedly possessing dual citizenship before the 2020 election.
Her qualification to represent the Jomoro constituency in Parliament was, therefore, challenged.
Although the embattled lawmaker filed a stay of execution of the High Court’s order for her to produce documents proving the renunciation of her alleged Ivorian citizenship, the application was dismissed in July.
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