The Supreme Court will today decide the fate of the three contemnors in the Montie FM case.
Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn all belonging to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), talk show host Salifu Maase aka ‘Mugabe’ and owners of the station were all found guilty of contempt for threatening to eliminate the judges sitting on the voters’ register case.
The accused were found guilty for scandalizing the court, defying and lowering the authority of the court and bringing it into disrepute by the court presided over by Justice Sophia Akuffo.
Nelson has since apologised to the apex court for his utterances claiming he was under the influence of a strange disease known in the local parlance as “kpokpogbligbli.”
He has promised never to make such comments again.
The directors of the radio station – Montie FM – were also been summoned before the court in the contempt case.
‘Mugabe’ has also pleaded for forgiveness because he has been a journalist of good repute for 15 years.
They were all granted self recognisance bail.
Their lawyers pleaded with the court that, they are first time offenders and the court should have mercy on them.
Background
Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn, who were panelists on ‘Pampaso’, a political programme on Montie FM in Accra on June 29, warned judges of Ghana’s highest court to be wary of their conduct in the case involving the Electoral Commission and Mr Abu Ramadan if they did not want to suffer the fate of the three members of the bench who were shot to death and burnt on June 30, 1982 in the era of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
The Supreme Court had to adjourn the case to July 18 after the contemnors argued that they were not served with the writ until the morning of the hearing day, a position which was corroborated by the court registrar.
By: Dan Kwasi Prince// www.dailyviewgh.com
Writer’s email dailyviewgh@gmail.com
