Petition book opens for jailed Montie 3

A petition book has opened at the premises of Radio Gold and the Freedom Centre to wheedle President John Mahama to grant the Montie 3 a presidential pardon.

Host of Montie FM’s political talk show ‘Pampaso’ Salifu Maase, popularly known as Mugabe, and two panelists, Alistair Nelson, and Godwin Ako Gunn both of the National Democratic Congress were jailed four months by the Supreme Court on Wednesday after they threatened to kill judges sitting on the Voters’ register case.

Owners of the station were also found guilty of contempt and have been fined GHc30, 000, to be paid to the court by close of day Thursday or face a jail term of one month.

A group called Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP) is championing the signature collection in a bid to persuade President Mahama to activate his prerogative of mercy powers under Article 72 of the 1992 Constitution.

“We nonetheless believe that the four months custodial sentence imposed on the three is excessive and has the potential to severely curtail the right to free speech which is a fundamental right enshrined in the 1992 Constitution,” Convener of RAP Abu Razak said in a statement.

Below is the full unedited statement from the group:

RAP mobilzes to protect Free Speech
The Research and Advocacy Platform has noted the imprisonment of a journalists and two Ghanaian citizens by the Supreme Court yesterday for comments they made about the court in a broadcast on Montie Fm.

RAP notes the need to uphold the integrity of vital state institutions like the Supreme Court. We nonetheless believe that the four months custodial sentence imposed on the three is excessive and has the potential to severely curtail the right to free speech which is a fundamental right enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

We are consequently taking a number of steps aimed at mobilising Ghanaians of all shades of opinion to Petition the President to invoke Article 72 of the Constitution to offer the imprisoned three a reprieve from this harsh sentence.

A Petition Book has been opened at the premises of Radio Gold at Laterbiokoshie and the Freedom Centre at Kokomlemle requesting abatement of the sentence and/or a Presidential Pardon.

All are encouraged to go and sign the books at any of the two places.

Abu Razak
Convener