Council of State recommends mercy for Montie 3

Reports reaching Daily Post’s editorial desk indicate that the Council of State met with President John Mahama early last week. In a plenary meeting later in the week, the Council recommended a reduction of sentence for the Montie 3.

It is not known how much remission of sentence the 3 are likely to receive, but it is expected that the President would invoke his powers under the prerogative of mercy contained in article 72 of the constitution to reduce the sentence imposed on the three persons.

The President, by granting a remission of part of the sentence under 72 (c) rather than a pardon under 72 (a), would be upholding the conviction by the courts, but also addressing the general consensus that the 4 months jail sentence was too harsh.

Previous to the Montie 3 the longest custodial sentence for contempt based on the spoken word has been 10 days.

The 3 were sentenced to prison 3 weeks ago for scandalizing the court.