The Supreme Court is considering a suit demanding the re-arrest of three NDC supporters whose three months jail term for contempt, was cut short by a presidential pardon.
The suit is one of three legal attempts seeking to challenge the decision by former President John Dramani Mahama to grant the pardon.
Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Masse who were part of a political talkshow on Accra-based Montie FM were jailed July 27 2016 following threats, made live on radio, to kill some judges whose judgements they disagreed with.
They also threatened to rape the Chief Justice Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood on the same show.
Despite a three-month jail sentence handed by the Supreme Court, the NDC supporters were set free by the President, in August 22nd 2016, after they served more than three weeks in jail.
One of the plaintiffs, Nana Asante Bediatuo, is convinced that the presidential pardon granted the three was unconsitutional.
He has said the president has the power to pardon people convicted for criminal offences but does not have same to pardon convicts for criminal contempt.
President John Mahama is no longer in office after his government lost the general elections last December. Nana Asante Bediatuo is now Executive Secretary to President Akufo-Addo.
The hearing of the case has began at the Supreme Court Thursday. The apex court has granted a request by the Attorney General's Department to be given 7 days to file a response to the three separate suits filed in September 2016.
After the Attorney-General files a response within seven days, the court registrar is expected to set a date for the hearing of the case.
Fosua Amagyei who is counsel for Nana Asante Bediatuo, told Joy News "if the courts find our case favourable, they should go back to prison and continue where they left off".
Source: myjoyonline.com
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TONY LITHUR ADVISED THEM, BUT MENTIE OBIAA JOHN JOHN MAHAMA DIDINT LISTEN.U SEE YOUR FACE MR. PREZ.NEXT TIME BE WISE.
Nana Asante Bediatuo are you not called for duty or you don`t have anything to do? Please drop that case and concentrate on Nana Addo`s call for duty. they are already ashamed even the good people of Ghana have drop That case,that Party,and the ex President John D Mahama who was advised by his misleading team to grant the pardon.
They have to serve their term of sentence; so they should go back to jail.
I think Npp should stay away from this issue and concentrate on their promises that can aid development for our nation.Thanks
They should go back and continue their term. Mahama did not listen to ghanaians at that time and i must say its one of the reasons for their defeat . God bless ghana
What happened after they were pardoned, did they showed signs of remorse, instead they went back and continued with the Biegya, insulting from left right center, bastardized, denigrated, vilified and abused, these small boys, they deserve Whatever punishment melted out to them , to me will not sympathize with them if sent back to jail, coz is the fuuul that doesn't changed the mind, these guys are like piiigs, even if they are cleansed with the best of soap , they will still go back to the filth. I taught they said they don't fear huuu
Hmmmm let bygone be bygone OK? 3ny3 di3 3hia nie....do the work and stop the witch hunting my fellow Npps
This is ***barred word***, npp should this rubish
pls this is needless.those 3 servd for 3wks and its left wit only 9wks. i wil b glad if they go back and continue wit da sentence to shame all those pples hu want dem in jail. NPP supporters remember that wen u r found guilty of da law da same measure wil b given to u, mayb u might not be lucky enough instead of 3months u wil serve fr 3years.
It's important the matter is pursued. The point is not to throw anybody back in jail but to seek an interpretation of the presidential pardon law as to whether it is applicable to contempt or not. There has been much debate about it and it is important the supreme court brings finality to the mattervto make things clear for all. It could be that the president's decision could be vindicated;but if it is overruled ,too bad for montie 3,but it would be in the larger interest of ghana.