Social media commentators should 'shut-up' on Sosu's suspension - Ampaw

Private legal practitioner, lawyer Maurice Ampaw has lambasted the general public and asked them to shut up and stop commenting on the suspension of lawyer Francis Xavier Sosu.

The controversial lawyer in an interview with Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm said, the general public should shut up on this issue.

A statement from the General Legal Council said: ‘’The disciplinary committee of the General legal Council formally charged Lawyer Sosu under Rule 2(4) of the legal profession (professional conduct and etiquette) Rules, 1969 L.I. 613 and that he; while acting as Council for Torgbui Afede XIV, in a matter between Torgbui Afede and the Chief of Defense Staff, minister of interior, Attorney General and another took to Facebook with pictures of the parties and comments on the case to the public with his firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting,” a statement from the legal Council said.

The statement added: “He was further charged under Rule 2 (4) of the legal profession (Professional conduct and etiquette) Rule, 1996 L.I 613 that he; while acting as Counsel for Reynolds Yeboah, in the matter between Patrick Reynolds Yeboah and M.DEX company Limited in Accra, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly, Accra, Ghana, took to Facebook posting the writ of summons in the said case and made comments to the public with the firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement.”

The suspension of the lawyer has been described as harsh and unfair by some individuals including lawyers.

Persons including President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe has described the ban has ‘’harsh and lawless’’. He has also asked the Council to reverse the ban.

“I now understand why many lawyers in Ghana try to insert themselves into politically charged cases so they get noticed by the public. The reason is that, lawyers I’m told don’t have to advertise their trade. Is this sensible?”

“I thought consumers must know what services they procure. Lawyer Francis Sosu appears to have been unfairly dealt with by the Legal Council on that score. The legal council must have been asleep all the time when their members spoke and still speak openly about cases in the media- effectively trying cases in the media. This is quite lawless. The legal council should review their lawless sentence of the gentleman,” he [Mr. Cudjoe] posted on his Facebook page.

But lawyer Ampaw in his submission slammed the public saying: ‘’Let me sound a warning to the public, they should shut up. They should shut up on this issue. They are not lawyers, they cannot tell lawyers how they should treat themselves. They should shut up. That kind of too known on social media will not be tolerated. Those social media commentators who talk by-heart will not be tolerated on this issue.’’

He also advised lawyer Sosu to stop the social media campaigns over the suspension since that will worsen his case.

He said, the lawyer should remain mute and allow his colleague lawyers to file litigation of sentence on his behalf.

He asked him to petition the General Legal Council and make an appeal for review, the President and other appropriate bodies on the matter instead of the social media campaigns.

''Lawyer Sosu should stop the social media campaigns and rather petition the Legal Council and plead for a review. He should appeal and tell them that, he is a first time offender and so they should have mercy on him.''