NPP youth beg SC to forgive Sir John, Adorye in contempt case

Youth of the opposition New Patriotic Party, the Young Patriots, have appealed to the Supreme Court to tamper justice with mercy in the case in which two leading members of the party are facing contempt of court charges.

The group says the court, must deal leniently with NPP General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie and party communications team member, Hopeson Adorye.

The two have been invited by the SC hearing the presidential election petition to explain why they should not be punished for making contemptuous comments that scandalised the court.

The Young Patriots assert that Mr. Owusu Afriyie, also known as Sir John, had particularly become sober and measured in his commentary since his comments came to the attention of the court.

President of the Young Patriots, Mr. Richard Nyamah, addressing a news conference in Accra Monday, said Sir John had shown sufficient commitment to peace and should not be punished.

According to him, the NPP General Secretary had issued guidelines on how to comment on the case and had toured the country to sensitise NPP to accept the verdict of the court regardless of how it goes.

Under the circumstance, Mr. Nyamah argued, the panel of justices should recognise Sir John's efforts and not punish him.

In any case, there are other political party commentators whom the Young Patriots claimed, have been making inflammatory comments on the petition pending the court and ought to be invited, too, to answer for their comments.

Richard Nyamah said the court must be seen to be fair to all sides of the political divide in its application of the law on contempt of court.