The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa-South and a Leading Member of the NPP, Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea, has launched an acerbic attack on the Editor of the Enquirer News Paper, Raymond Archer, asking him to stop publishing his ‘‘ignorance’’ and desist from polluting the minds of discerning readers.

The MP was responding to a publication by the Enquirer News Paper captioned, “NPP Headquarters To Be Auctioned Today”. The paper said properties of the party were to be auctioned on Wednesday July 21, following the ruling of a default judgment made against the party.

According to the Enquirer, on July 14, 2010, an Accra Fast Track high Court-Commercial Division presided over by her Ladyship, Justice Margaret Melbourne threw away an affidavit in opposition to a May 14, 2010 judgment slapped on the Party by the court.  

This was in connection with a case filed by Ghana’s lead music composer, Mawuli Decker. Mr. Decker instituted the court action for non-payment of professional fees for musical works done for the party’s electioneering campaign in 2008. And to defray the value of a judgment entered against the party by the court, its properties were to be auctioned at the Party’s headquarters in Asylum Down, Accra, claims the “Enquirer”.

But counsel for the NPP and MP for Abuakwa South, Atta Akyea, says the publication is misleading.  Speaking in an interview with Shamima Muslim, Host of Eye Witness News on Citi FM, Mr. Atta Akyea said the auction of the building could not be possible.

 ‘‘In explaining the steps before an auction of a building is effected, Mr. Atta Akyea, a member of the Zoe, Akyea & Co Law Firm said “there should be an attachment because of judgment…Secondly, the court should state an offer or evaluation of the property to be sold…Thirdly, the court should have ordered for a reserve price…there should be a notice of the property to be auctioned in newspapers before the property could be sold,” he stated.

According to him, as long as the steps mentioned above had not been taken, an auction of a property cannot take effect and chastised the Editor of the Enquirer for publishing his own sets of facts.

But Raymond Archer insisted that the publication was authentic and rubbished the explanations by the NPP lawyer.

“My understanding is that once the judgment is against the party, the court could lay their hands on any property of the party and auction,” he said.

But Counsel for the NPP responded by reminding Mr. Archer that in matters of law, his understanding does not hold.  

“When it comes to issues concerning the law, it’s not your understanding which matters…we’re talking about an auction and what the law says. You were saying that it was going to be auctioned, and I’m saying that by law, they’ve not even gone there”.

The exchanges became hot as Raymond Archer told Hon Atta Akyea in the face that, “if you think whoever authorized the auction did not go through the normal process that is your trouble…you just sit down and I’m sure that in a couple of days or tomorrow or whatever date, the auction will take place,” he said. “What auction will take place?” Atta Akyea asked. “You just don’t understand what you’re saying,” he told Archer. “How do you know that you understand what you’re saying?” Raymond queried.

The two failed to tone down as the Programme Host, Shamima Muslim intervened.

Are you the lawyer of record? Have you started practicing law now?” Atta Kyea asked. But the “Enquirer” Editor quickly shot back, “you think because you are a lawyer, you are the only one who…if you know what you’re saying then I also know what I’m saying. So don’t say that…” Raymond cautioned.

“You just published your ignorance, that’s what you have done. You don’t know the difference between an attachment and an auction. You better go back and be educated… You are demonstrating your ignorance,” the Abuakwa-South MP told Raymond Archer.

Not to be undone, Mr. Archer retorted, “you’re raving and ranting…there’s no need for you to scream like a little child in a candy shop,” he said.“Oh, but please that is balderdash, I’m not screaming. I’m very much surprised that you, having no understanding of the law…is asserting that there’s going to be an auction. Do you know what an auction is? What you published is totally false.