Montie 3 mercy petition targets 1m signatures

The Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP), the group that is pooling signatures to push for a presidential pardon for the three men convicted on Wednesday, July 27 by the Supreme Court for contempt, has said its ambition is to register one million persons to carry out its intention.

The think tank opened the book on Thursday, July 28, at the premises of Accra-based Radio Gold, a day after the contemnors were incarcerated by Ghana’s highest court.

The court sentenced the three – Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn, and Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe – to four months in jail for threatening to kill justices of the Supreme Court.

Apart from the jail sentence, each of the three contemnors has been fined a sum of GHS10000. The owners of the station including Mr. Harry Zakkour, who is also the second vice- chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress, as well as Mr. Edward Addo, Ato Ahwoi, and Kwesi Kyei Atuah, have been fined GHS30000 each. They are to pay the fine by the end of Thursday, July 28 or risk a month’s jail term.

The owners have also been asked by the Supreme Court to submit policy documents spelling out how to forestall similar happenings in the future. They have also been asked to ensure that none of their media outlets will be used to scandalise the court or bring it into disrepute.

Critics of the judgment have said the sentence was harsh, gagged free speech, and was vindictive of the NDC, hence, the opening of the petition book.

High-profile personalities to have signed the petition include Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, Deputy Chief of Staff Dr. Valerie Sawyer, Deputy Minister of Petroleum Benjamin Dagadu, Deputy Education Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Ayawaso North MP Ahmed Mustapha.

Speaking to Accra News Thursday, July 28, spokesperson for the group, Abu Razak, said the petition was gathering steam and thousands of signatories had supported the cause to get President John Mahama to invoke his prerogative of mercy under the 1992 constitution to pardon or reduce the sentences of the three convicted contemnors.

“I think it is gathering momentum. Our target is a million Ghanaian signatures. If we are able to get a million, then we can make the move towards approaching the president for his intervention,” he told Abena Korantemaa Agyapong.