President Mahama has come under intense criticism for his decision to grant pardon to the Montie three; Salifu Maase aka Mugabe, Godwin Ako Gunn and Alistair Nelson.
Each of the three was sentenced to four months imprisonment by the Supreme Court on their own plea of guilty of contempt after they threatened to kill some of the judges who were sitting on an electoral case.
But barely a month after their imprisonment, the President decided to remit their sentence thereby attracting condemnation from various quarters.
The Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) is one such group which thinks “the President has committed a political suicide and the people of Ghana must bury his political ambitions come December 7, 2016.”
In a statement issued yesterday, National Secretary of the party, Murtala Mohammed said “the President's decision to pardon the Montie 3 is in bad faith and will remain a scar on our democratic credentials.”
“The history and tradition of the NDC regarding alleged murder of judges, victimization of journalists and threats to judges (“there are many ways to kill a cat”) recently was enough deterrent for John Mahama to thread with caution and not to hasten to destroy the little credibility the NDC has chalked under the watch of his predecessor, the late Professor J.E.A Mills”, he emphasised.
With that, he indicated “the President has proven weak amidst pressure from party members whose intentions are based on sentiments and emotions without looking at the interest of the state.”
“By exercising his powers per article 72 to pardon the three contemnors, the President has rendered the Judicial Service toothless and ineffective”, the statement noted.
Whiles he admitted to the fact that the President may have acted constitutionally, the PPP scribe insisted that he has tempered with the powers of the judiciary which would go a long way to affect the work of the judges in the future since according to him, “the prerogative right of mercy granted by the President was uncalled for and untimely.”
The parties also expressed disappointment in the Council of State regarding their role and advice to the President which led to the remission of sentence for the trio.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
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