President Mahama remits sentences of Montie three
President John Mahama has granted remission of sentence to the three people sentenced by the Supreme Court for contempt.
The decision is in response to a petition that was made to the president.
The three, two radio panelists and the host of the of a talk programme ‘Pampaso’ on an Accra based radio station Montie FM, known as the ‘Montie three’ were found guilty and sentenced to four months imprisonment each on July 27, 2016.
The three convicts were also asked to pay a fine of GH¢10,000 each or in default serve another one month imprisonment.
The court also fined four directors, including Ato Ahwoi, Harry Zakour, Edward Addo and Kwesi Kyei Atuah the owners of Networking Broadcasting Company Limited and Zeze media GH¢30,000 each.
A press statement issued today August 22, 2016 and signed by the Minister of Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boama, said , “the president in consultation with the Council of State and in exercise of his constitutional powers under Article 72 of the Constitution, remitted the remaining prison sentence imposed on three persons: Salifu Maase (alias Mugabe), Alistair Nelson and Ako Gunn who were sentenced to four months imprisonment and a fine of GH¢10,000.00 each for contempt of court. The remission is effective August 26, 2016.”
“The decision of His Excellency the President to remit their sentences on compassionate grounds follows a petition submitted to him by the contemnors appealing to the President to exercise his prerogative of mercy even as they continue to express deep remorse and regret for the unacceptable statements they made against the Judiciary.
His Excellency, President Mahama takes this opportunity to remind all Ghanaians of the need to respect the institutions of State and exercise freedom of speech responsibly mindful of the need to preserve peace and national unity,” it added.
The statement further indicated the president’s expectations that all citizens will draw lessons from the events leading to the conviction of the three persons and bear in mind the consequences of injudicious utterances
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi