Tsatsu does not deserve presidential pardon

Ashaiman, Sept 29, GNA - The 'Free Tsatsu movement' has stated categorically that it would not plead for a presidential pardon for the incarcerated former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr Tsatsu Tsikata.

'We will not under any circumstances plead for presidential pardon for Tsatsu,' Mr Kweku Mortey, a leading member of the movement said over the weekend.

Mr Mortey, who was addressing the public during a symposium at Ashaiman, added "we refuse to beg for that because he does not deserve that."

He noted that giving Tsatsu presidential pardon was not appropriate since according to him, the former GNPC boss deserved total freedom as he was innocent of the charge of "willfully causing financial loss to the state."

Mr Tsatsu Tsikata was on June 18 this year sentenced to a five-year jail term by a Fast Track High Court.

Mr Mortey, who is a legal practitioner, indicated that Tsatsu's imprisonment was politically motivated, as according to him, the court could not prove beyond all reasonable doubt that he (Tsatsu) was liable to the offence. He added that Tsatsu had not been treated fairly as the country has benefited immensely from some of the investments GNPC made under Tsatsu's leadership including Total, Ecobank and Westel. "He is in prison for having a foresight to invest in other sectors of the economy to generate funds to run GNPC", Mr Mortey added. Mr Kwesi Pratt Junior, a member of the movement reiterated the call for the release of Tsatsu, noting that, "he must be freed by the end of October, since he has done no wrong."

Mr Pratt said it was unfortunate that social deviants including armed robbers walk freely in the country while people like Tsatsu, who have served the nation with their lives rather languish in jail. He noted that the movement would support any Ghanaian who was denied fair trail, irrespective of their political affiliation.

Mr Pratt, who is the editor of the Insight, an Accra newspaper, urged Ghanaians to join the campaign to fight for the freedom and justice of all.

He also entreated interested people to sign the Tsatsu solidarity form, which was launched on the hundredth day of the GNPC boss' imprisonment. He said copies of the signed form would be presented to "President John Agyekum Kufour and Mrs Georgina Wood, Chief Justice, for them to know the views of Ghanaians concerning the imprisonment, while Tsatsu would also receive a copy for him to know that Ghanaians cared about him". Mr Pratt observed that over 1000 signatures had been collected since the launch of the solidarity form.

Madam Esther Cobbah, wife of Mr Tsikata thanked Ghanaians for their support and asked them to pray for the strength to fight for the freedom of people who had been unfairly imprisoned.