The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) has said the President would set a bad precedent if he decides to free the three jailed Montie FM contemnors.
Pressure has been mounting on the President to free the trio who were sentenced to four months imprisonment for threatening to kill judges.
[contextly_sidebar id=”fs7t4NOrDXID2knV4Gq3nZZuugxhGrtm”]Some prominent persons within the NDC have since last Thursday been signing a petition book to compel the President to exercise his prerogative of mercy as enshrined in the 1992 constitution.
But CDD argued that “it would represent the most vulgar misuse of executive power and worse still, set a dangerous precedent if the President succumbs to the pressure from the NDC and pro government activists.”
“In a sense, it will institutionalize an already unfair practice of incumbent party sympathizers being treated differently before the law and by the state. Montie FM and its owners are avowed NDC and Mahama administration supporters and promoters. No matter the depth of sympathy for the individuals involved in the Montie case, this cannot be a constructive cure,”the think tank added.
The CDD in a statement therefore emphasized the need for various stakeholders to “examine the deficiencies that have allowed the 1992 constitution to be understood and applied in this bizzare manner” in order to promote democracy and ensure that justice is served.”
The CDD’s comments comes hours after the writer Ama Ata Aidoo described calls on the President to grant presidential pardon to the trio as unfortunate.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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