Ghanaian Woman Jailed for Contempt Over Viral Court Video

Key Points

• Deborah Seyram Adablah jailed 45 days for court contempt.
• She posted videos attacking a judge and the judiciary.
• Her breach-of-promise case was dismissed as immoral.

The High Court in Accra has sentenced Deborah Seyram Adablah, a former National Service personnel, to 45 days in prison after finding her guilty of contempt.

The court found that Adablah had defamed the judiciary in two videos shared on social media, in which she accused the presiding judge of bias and unprofessional conduct.

Adablah had previously made headlines in 2023 when she sued a bank’s chief finance officer—whom she referred to as her “sugar daddy”—for breach of promise.

She claimed he had failed to deliver on several promises, including a car, rent, and financial support. However, the court ruled that her relationship with the man was immoral and lacked any legal basis, dismissing her suit.

The controversy escalated when the court ordered the seizure of a Honda Civic vehicle central to the dispute. Adablah resisted court bailiffs, arguing they had acted too swiftly in enforcing the order.

Her objection was followed by a scathing online attack on the judiciary, leading to her contempt conviction.

Contempt conviction linked to viral video backlash

In the now-viral videos, Adablah lashed out at Justice John Bosco Nabarese, the judge who presided over her civil suit. She accused him of favoritism and warned him to “be ready to dance to this drum you are beating.”

She also questioned the credibility of Ghana’s judiciary, saying it was “full of spirits” and claimed the contempt case was “dead on arrival.”

The court issued a bench warrant for her arrest after the videos surfaced. Rather than retreating, Adablah shared another video saying she would surrender herself.

Despite that claim, she continued making inflammatory remarks about the justice system.

Her conviction was finalized on May 6, 2025. Shortly after the verdict, Adablah went live on social media from the High Court premises, capturing her conversation with a security officer as she prepared to be transferred to Nsawam Prison.

Breach-of-promise case dismissed as immoral and baseless

Adablah’s original lawsuit stemmed from a romantic relationship with a bank executive she alleged had promised to support her financially.

Her claims included payment for rent, a car, monthly allowances, and even funding for birth control and family needs. The court, however, concluded that the relationship amounted to “fornication for financial gain” and ruled that no legal action could be derived from such an arrangement.

In November 2023, the High Court dismissed the case and ordered Adablah to return the vehicle. It also awarded GH¢6,000 in costs against her and removed the bank’s name from the suit.

The judge described her suit as an abuse of the court process.

Despite her continued assertions of judicial unfairness, the court held firm in its ruling and proceeded with the contempt judgment. Adablah has since vowed to appeal the sentence.