GhanaPoliticsOnline.Com
The Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Hanna Tetteh, Wednesday described the 4 month sentencing of the Montie FM contemnors – Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn, and Salifu Maase, aka Mugabe as too harsh.
Ms Tetteh wrote on her Facebook page after the verdict that:”…given that they had acknowledged their error and had apologized for same at the last sitting, one would have wished that our respected judges would have tempered justice with mercy. It’s very sad.”
The Supreme court Wednesday July 27, 2016 handed a four months jail term each to the Montie FM panelists and the host of Pampaso political show, Mugabe.
They are to pay 10,000 GHS each by tomorrow, which failure to pay the fine will be another term imprisonment.
Owners of the station were all 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.
The owners, NETWORK Broadcasting Company have also been ordered to provide the court with measures put in place to guard against the recurrence of such incidence.
Justice Sophia Akuffo in her ruling said the sentencing of the three should serve as a deterrent to owners of media houses, journalists and others who flagrantly make such irresponsible and reckless comments against the judiciary.
The host of the programme, Salifu Maase known as Mugabe, the two panellists and owners of the station appeared before the Supreme Court on Monday, July 18 after they were ordered by the Supreme Court to appear to answer for the charges.
Alistair Nelson told the court he suffered a condition, “kpokpo gbligbli” which explains for the reason why he made the contemptuous statements.
The contemnors pleaded guilty and the owners of the station through their counsel pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
At their last appearance before Wednesday’s sentencing, they were found guilty of scandalising the court, defying and lowering the authority of the court, and bringing it into disrepute.and ordered to re-appear before the court today July 27, 2016 for sentencing.
