Ablekuma West MP, Ursula Owusu Ekuful has counseled President John Dramani Mahama not to heed calls for him to pardon the convicted Montie contemnors.
The contemnors were sentenced to four months imprisonment each with a fine of GHC 10000 for contempt of court.
Owners of the radio station were also fined GHC 30000 in the contempt suit.
Following the verdict by the Supreme Court, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has vehemently condemned the jailing of the contemnors, stressing in a statement that "while respecting the verdict of the court and reiterating our condemnation of the utterances and comments made by the three, the party is extremely disappointed and saddened by the severity and harshness of the punishments imposed on them."
A private legal practitioner has also called on President John Mahama to exercise his powers under Article 72 and grant the convicts clemency.
Article 72 gives the President the mandate "in consultation with the Council of State" to "grant to a person convicted of an offence a pardon either free or subject to lawful conditions."
Commenting on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Ursula Owusu stated that should the President exercise such powers, it will feed into the notion that no matter the crime that an NDC member commits; he will use his discretionary power to pardon them.
She noted that the Montie FM staff and two panelists practiced "media terrorism" and have been stung by their own actions.
“If they are NDC members, no matter the crime they commit; the President will use his power of pardon to set them free…I know he is a bigger person than that and will think in the interest of the nation, and the dangerous journey these Montie contemnors were embarking on to plunge the country into chaos before he makes any such attempt.”
She said the convicts felt they were untouchable but "unfortunately, they are not. They were practicing media terrorism and it has come to bite them. I hope we will pick a cue from it and desist from going down that line.”
Whiles the learned lawyer indicted various institutions and civil society for allowing the "excesses" to go unchecked, she however believed the court's ruling will serve as a deterrent to any individual who wants to demean the judiciary; that, it is a higher power that must not be toyed with.
“What lesson are we teaching the younger ones coming up…? I blame all of us and the institutions set up to check these excesses. The time when they started to set up this station and when they started to denigrate their political opponents, especially Nana Akufo Addo; where were they? Peace Council and Media Commission!" |
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