The Accra High Court has sentenced Deborah Seyram Adablah, a former National Service personnel and social media personality, to 45 days in prison for contempt of court, following a series of public outbursts and failure to comply with court directives.
Adablah, who was thrust into the public spotlight in 2023 after suing her former supervisor at a major Ghanaian bank, Ernest Kwesi Nimako, for sexual harassment and breach of promise faced contempt proceedings after defying a court order and launching scathing attacks against the judiciary online.
In her 2023 lawsuit, Adablah alleged that Nimako, a former top executive at the bank, had failed to fulfill financial and material commitments promised during what she described as a romantic relationship. A key element of the case involved a Honda Civic vehicle, which she claimed was a gift but which the court ordered to be surrendered for safekeeping pending judgment.
Despite a May 2023 order directing her to hand over the car, Adablah failed to comply. In the months that followed, she released a series of controversial videos on social media, accusing the presiding judge, Justice John Bosco Nabarese, of bias, unprofessional conduct, and personal prejudice
Her comments included direct insults and threats toward the judge, with remarks that were widely condemned as defamatory. She questioned the integrity of Ghana's judiciary and dismissed the contempt charges as "dead on arrival."
In sentencing her on Monday, the court held that Adablah's actions constituted a clear violation of judicial authority and an attempt to undermine public confidence in the rule of law. Justice Nabarese described her conduct as "reckless, deliberate, and disrespectful of the sanctity of the court.
Adablah's legal team has not yet confirmed whether they will appeal the ruling.