Kweku Baako Jr. has described as “tactless”, the Supreme Court’s summoning of opposition General Secretary Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, also known as ‘Sir John’ and another party communicator Hopeson Adorye for making contemptuous comments in connection with the election petition case.
According to the New Crusading Guide Editor-in-Chief, the timing of the court’s invitation of the two New Patriotic Party members is “surprising”.
“I’m really surprised that this matter has resurrected,” he said on Saturday, adding that: “To be honest with you - while I’m not challenging the authority of the Supreme Court to actually proceed in this direction because of consistency - I think the decision, and I hope this is not contempt, if it is I apologise ahead of time; I think it lacks tact, tact; I think something is missing”, Kweku Baako said on Joy FM’s news analysis programme Newsfile on Saturday.
After cautions by the Host of the programme Samson Lardi Ayenini and fellow discussants Nana Ato Dadzie and Chris Ackumey about the likelihood of the comment landing him in trouble, Mr. Baako pointed out that: “…I have no fear for imprisonment. I’m over it. I just want you to know that when it comes to prison, I have no fear”.
As far as Sir John is concerned, the summons quoted The Enquirer Newspaper of Friday July 5, 2013 as having described the Presiding Justice of the nine-member Supreme Court panel, Justice William Atuguba as a “hypocrite” and “a joker who pampers” the Counsel for the third respondent in the case, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata but “scolds” the Counsel for the Petitioners Mr. Philip Addison.
Sir John, according to the summons, made the comments on private radio station Oman FM on June 24, 2013.
The NPP General Secretary is also quoted by the summons to have said that Justice Atuguba always wore a frown that made him resemble “a voodoo deity”.
The summons further quoted The Enquirer as saying that Sir John had said “Justice Atuguba, by his actions, was up to hypocritical antics that is intended to lead NPP not to get the opportunity to play a tape recording of the Electoral Commissioner, Dr Kwadwo Afari- Gyan’s voice, declaring that ‘No verification, no vote’, so that the President can win the case.”
The court therefore asked Sir John to come and “show cause why you should not be committed to prison for contempt of this court, thereby scandalising the court, lowering the authority and credibility of this court in the eyes of the general public, and exciting hatred and ill-will towards 1st and 2nd respondent herein.”
Hopeson Adorye on the other hand has been summoned for threatening to decapitate supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress if the Supreme Court ruled against his party’s 2012 flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the two other Petitioners in the case.
The summons quotes Hopeson Adorye as having said: “We shall cut the heads of NDC supporters if Supreme Court declares President Mahama winner”.
The alleged comment was published in the Monday July 8, 2013 edition of the Daily Post Newspaper.
He is quoted to have said on Obuasi-based private station Time FM, on June 26, 2013, that “the NPP will…go on a head cutting spree, cutting off the heads of NDC supporters should the Supreme Court declare President Mahama the winner.”
The summons said the paper also quoted Mr. Adorye as saying that “the claim by fellow NPP activist Samuel Awuku, that the Supreme Court judges were biased and are hypocrites was an appropriate comment for which Awuku should not have apologized.”
The summons therefore asked Hopeson to come and “show cause why you should not be committed to prison for contempt of this court, thereby scandalising the court, lowering the authority and credibility of this court in the eyes of the general public, and exciting hatred and ill-will towards 1st and 3rd respondent herein.”
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