We are very confused – Sammy Awuku

Deputy Communication Director of the opposition NPP, Sammy Awuku has said recent summons by the Supreme Court to appear before it by people cited for contempt of the ongoing 2012 election petition, has really been a burden on political communicators.

According to him, one will not know whether utterances made concerning the court hearing might go against the court - so freely expressing opinions on the court issues has become problematic.

Sammy Awuku who was saved by the bell for his “hypocritical and selective” statement on Peace FM is pleading with the Supreme Court Justices hearing the petition case to temper justice with mercy on political party communicators as well as journalists who might be cited for contempt.

“To be honest, it is very difficult now for some of us to even communicate on the court issues because you might not know when you will be charged for contempt. The line between contempt and free speech is very thin.

“…the NPP is not only going through difficulties concerning the contempt issues, even a deputy Minister in the Mahama-led administration was scared to comment on the court issue when asked of his views on Peace FM.

“…Now, we are very confused on what to say - we are pleading for the judges to clarify that for us (communicators) so we will know what constitutes contempt and what doesn’t. That is the problem and it’s a major problem, really difficult situation,” he lamented on Okay FM.

The Supreme Court sentenced Mr. Stephen Atubiga, a member of the communication team of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Searchlight Newspaper, Ken Kuranchie to 3 and 10 days imprisonment for contemptuous comments respectively.

Mr. Kweku Boahen, the Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser of the NDC who was also summoned by the court, however, escaped punishment after justification.

The three were alleged to have acted in contravention of the Supreme Court’s June 24, 2013 order which directed all to desist from making prejudicial comments and distortion of facts in the ongoing presidential election petition.

Mr. Sammy Awuku, nonetheless, told Okay FM’s morning show host, Kwame Nkrumah Tekese that “I pray to God this court case will end quickly so we will begin to have or lives back again.”