Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, has expressed great disappointment and displeasure over the sentencing of fellow journalist Ken Kuranchie, Editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper and a member of the Communication team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Steven Atubiga to separate jail terms by the Supreme Court for contempt.
The duo were sentenced to 13 days imprisonment following various contemptuous comments they were alleged to have made despite Supreme Court�s June, 24, 2013 order which directed all persons to desist from making prejudicial comments and distortion of facts in the ongoing presidential election petition.
Speaking to the issue and recalling a similar predicament he (Kweku Baako) suffered in July 1998, when together with Haruna Atta, they were sentenced for contempt, he hoped that the act by the Supreme Court Judges will not sow a seed of �docility and cowardice of public life and public discourse. I don�t like a situation where people are jailed for what they have said; it is in my spirit, I just don�t like it�.
�I like a situation where people can criticise various issues vigorously and critically; I agree we must be responsible. But honestly, by my spirit, I am not too happy with what happened yesterday; I am not challenging anybody�are we going to have a situation where every Tom, Dick and Harry who will give a commentary perceived to be an assault on the integrity of the court will be summoned? It is an unsustainable path to take. As for me I think we must focus on the substantive issue,� he asserted in an interaction with Kwami Sefa-Kayi on Wednesday�s edition of "Kokrokoo".
Meanwhile, Mr Ade Coker, Greater Accra Region Chairman of the NDC, speaking to the same issue on the same platform, is of the view that the Judges are not gagging free speech or anybody in the country; �they just want us to act with responsibility�.
According to him, Ken Kuranchie should have humbly apologised even if he felt he had a justifiable case.
��we need to expand our frontiers of freedom. We must protect our freedom but we must not bastardise those who are to protect our freedom. We need to protect our institutions,� he indicated.
Source: Rebecca Addo-Tetteh/peacefmonline.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |