The Montie 3 have said they have learnt their lesson from the jail term imposed on them by the Supreme Court after threatening to kill justices of the apex and urged colleague journalists to learn from their mistake.
Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn, and Salifu Maase (Mugabe) were released from the Nsawam Medium Security Prison on Friday, 25 August, after President John Mahama granted them a remission of the remainder of their four-month sentence.
The trio were found guilty of scandalising the Supreme Court, defying and lowering its authority, and bringing it into disrepute and handed the custodial sentence plus a fine.
Addressing their teeming supporters at the forecourt of Montie FM in Accra on Friday, the trio advised journalists and other media practitioners to learn from their mistake.
“We have learnt our lesson and will like to reiterate President Mahama’s call to our fellow media practitioners and all who appear on our platforms to take a cue from what happened to us and be circumspect in our utterances,” they stated.
“We agree that we have a responsibility to our country to [have] peace in this election year and to respect institutions of state. We will continue to practise our profession and be mindful of all these.”
The three were sentenced on 27 July, 2016 and served one month of the four-month prison term. They also paid GHS 10,000 each as fines for threatening to kill judges of the Supreme Court.
The President granted the remission following two petitions submitted to him by the contemnors and a pro-government group for mercy.