Pardon for Montie 3 ‘bastardisation’ of our justice system – Egbert Faibile

Legal practitioner, Egbert Faibile Jnr, has condemned President John Mahama’s decision to remit the four-month sentence handed to the Montie trio by the Supreme Court, describing it as an attack on Ghana’s judiciary.

“President Mahama has attacked the Judiciary in a most unacceptable manner with the remission of the sentences of the Montie 3,” he said in Facebook post moments after the president announcement.

Accra-based radio host Salifu Maase, and his two panellists, Alistair Nelson and Ako Gunn were sentenced to four months in prison on July 26 after the Supreme Court found them guilty of contempt of court for making threatening statements against the justices of the court.

Subsequent to their conviction and sentencing, their lawyers petitioned the President to invoke his powers under Article 72 to grant the three presidential pardon.

A statement issued Monday evening by the Communications Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah announced the President has granted a remission of sentence for the three on compassionate grounds. It said President Mahama has in consultation with the Council of State “remitted the remaining prison sentence imposed on three persons” effective August 27, 2016.

This means the three months remaining sentence has been cancelled. They, however, remain convicts notwithstanding the remission

‘Justice Bastardised’

But this, Mr Faibile said is unacceptable because “Justice stands bastardised!” “I do not see any difference between what he has done and what Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah did with his sacking of three Supreme Court Judges following the acquittal of Ako Adjei, Cofie Crabbe and Tawia Adamafio.

Supreme court’s ‘tyranny’ arrested

Meanwhile, US-based law lecturer, Stephen Kwaku Asare, who condemned the Supreme Court for its approach in the matter, has welcomed the President’s action. “I fully welcome it and congratulate the President for arresting the Supreme Court’s tyranny,” he said in a Facebook post a while ago.