Court convicts former NSS "side chick' of contempt, jails her 45 days

An Accra High Court has sentenced Deborah Seyram Adablah, a former National Service personnel, to 45 days in prison for contempt of court following her derogatory social media posts aimed at the judiciary.

The conviction stems from two videos she shared online in which she launched verbal attacks against the presiding judge, Justice John Bosco Nabarese, accusing him of bias in her dismissed civil case against a senior bank official she referred to as her “sugar daddy.” 

The court found that her remarks were defamatory and undermined the authority of the judiciary.

The background to the contempt charge dates to a controversial lawsuit Deborah filed in 2023, in which she alleged that the senior official had breached promises made during a personal relationship. Among her claims were unpaid allowances, rent, a vehicle, and financial support for personal and family needs.

 She argued that these were assurances given during their affair, but the court found the relationship immoral and devoid of any legal merit. The case was ultimately dismissed, with the court ordering her to return a Honda Civic at the center of the dispute and pay costs.

While the case was still pending, the court had instructed bailiffs to seize the vehicle. Deborah resisted the action, questioning the legitimacy of the bailiffs’ enforcement. Her subsequent online videos harshly criticized the court, describing the judge’s actions as partial and threatening consequences if fairness was not upheld.

One of the videos, streamed live, captured her rant where she claimed judicial salaries were funded by the sweat of ordinary citizens like herself. In another, she accused the court of spiritual corruption and warned the judge to "be ready to dance to this drum you are beating."

These remarks prompted the court to issue a bench warrant for her arrest. Even after being notified, Deborah continued to post defiant videos, dismissing the legal process and mocking the judiciary’s authority.

On May 6, 2025, the court found her guilty of contempt and sentenced her to 45 days behind bars. A video believed to have been streamed just after the sentencing showed Deborah at the courthouse being escorted by security personnel, visibly preparing to be transferred to Nsawam Prison.

Her initial lawsuit had stirred national debate around the legal recognition of informal relationships and moral conduct in contractual claims. The court had ruled that no enforceable contract could arise from an agreement rooted in immoral behavior, specifically one involving an intimate arrangement in exchange for financial gain.

Despite her conviction, Deborah maintains her defiance, vowing to appeal both the main judgment and the contempt ruling.