Reputation vs Being a Hero: The courtroom display between Kennedy Agyapong, UG professor in a contempt case

According to Professor Gyan, he had sensed that the judge handling the case was likely to jail Kennedy Agyapong if he testified in the witness box during the court proceedings.

To prevent this, Professor Gyan attempted to convince the judge to adjourn the case, as he believed stepping into the witness box would put Kennedy at risk of conviction.

However, his client insisted on testifying, expressing his willingness to face imprisonment if necessary.

Speaking in an interview on Angel TV on January 5, 2025, the professor explained that he was determined to protect his professional reputation, as having Kennedy jailed under his representation would have tarnished his record.

According to him, to avoid this outcome, he worked tirelessly to prevent Kennedy from testifying and later secured a prohibition from the Supreme Court to stop the judge from handling the case.

“My most difficult day in court was when I appeared with Hon. Kennedy Agyapong in a contempt application.

“The judge insisted, Professor Kwame Gyan, put your witness in the box, but I knew he would be convicted if I did. I kept signaling my client to hold off while I tried convincing the judge to adjourn. That day was tough.” he said.

He continued, “The judge wanted him to testify, but I was aware of where the proceedings were heading.

“But when I explained this to Kennedy, he refused. He said, lawyer, I will stand in the witness box and defend myself.

“I thought to myself, this man doesn’t understand what’s happening. I kept signaling him to stop, but he insisted, even saying, if they will jail me, they should jail me.

“I didn’t want to go down in history as the lawyer under whose watch Kennedy Agyapong was jailed. For him, it was about being a hero, even at the expense of my record. I couldn’t allow that. With a client like Kennedy Agyapong, it feels like handling 30 clients at once.

“So, I sought an adjournment and ran to the Supreme Court to secure a prohibition against the judge from continuing the case.”