A Ghanaian citizen, Richard Asante Yeboah, who sued the Montie three for contempt over their death threats against Supreme Court Justices has expressed disappointment in the decision of the President to free them.
Mr. Asante Yeboah also said President John Mahama will go down “in annals of history as a President who was not really able to stand on his ground and defend the constitution and defend the constitution and defend the people of this country, to defend the Judiciary.”
President Mahama yesterday [Monday] granted remission to the incarcerated three after consultation with the Council of State.
[contextly_sidebar id=”c6shbIy3nThSVQdk24DtuewyrLXdLIqE”]Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe, had been sentenced to serve four months in jail and paid a fine of Ghc10,000 each, but have now been granted their freedom three months early.
Mahama enabling such conduct
In an interview with Citi News Mr Asante Yeboah accused President Mahama of enabling such conduct with his act of clemency.
According to him, “When you listen to the utterances of these individuals, they alluded to the fact that they are doing all these things because the President is encouraging them.”
“It therefore gives an indication that whatever conduct these guys were doing, they knew that whatever comes of their conduct, at the end of the day, they would be given that pardon,” Mr. Asante Yeboah added.
Mahama turning country into banana republic
Mr. Asante Yeboah also accused the President Mahama of granting the three a pardon simply to score political points.
“This is how the President has really run the Presidency down. This is how the President is busy trying to appease people in the name of what – votes? How do you turn our country into this Banana republic.”
President’s reason for pardon
A statement signed by the Minister of Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, indicated that the President had taken the decision to pardon the three on ‘compassionate grounds’ given the remorse they had demonstrated.
“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,” the statement said.
The trio had expressed their regret for the comments they made and called on the President to bear in mind the embarrassment their conduct and incarceration had caused their loved ones.
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By: Delai Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana