Sentencing Of Montie 3 Is A Mockery Of Ghana’s Motto Of Freedom And Justice - Arthur K
A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Kobina Arthur Kennedy has criticized the Justice Sophia Akuffo’s led panel of judges who sat on the case involving the radio panelists Godwin Ako Gunn and Alistair Nelson as well as a radio host Salifu Maase describing the ruling as a mockery to the Freedom and Justice motto of the country.
According to the author of the infamous ‘chasing the elephant to the bush’ the distinguished Justices at the country’s apex court seem to be blowing hot and cold if not pick and choose when it comes to issue of reputation.
Dr Arthur Kennedy who was speaking on news and current affairs program Ghana Ddadwen on Onua fm stated that if the Supreme Court was worried about its reputation, there were many grievous comments made by people after the election petition hearing in 2012, but such people were left off the hook and wondered why the court did not direct the Attorney General to take up the case but rather assume the prosecutorial powers.
“Indeed I agree with Justice Sophia Akuffo that the Attorney General should have done something about the issue but that does not mean that the court can take up the prosecutorial powers of the Attorney General. For example if the Supreme Court is worried about its reputation, after the election petition hearing some people say the court took bribe, someone also threatened to declare war on some tribes, and there will be mayhem during the 2012 elections, did the court not worried about its reputation then are we saying the lives of the judges are more important than that of a whole tribe, this is the kind of justice that has made our freedom and justice motto made a mockery”
Dr Arthur Kennedy observed that, people are given a year jail sentence for stealing a tuber of yam but when the same judges were caught on camera taking bribe, the supreme court still remain mute on the matter till date, asking if it does not constitute a bloat on the reputation of all judges. While condemning the Montie 3 for their comments, Dr Kennedy thinks things must be done in proper way, saying “we cannot do good things the wrong way”.
On the issue of some justices recusing themselves before the hearing, the medical doctor cum politician minced no words in describing it as “bull” since he believed just because the names of the rest of the judges were not mentioned cannot be justification that they are unbiased. Noting that, the case should have been heard by a lower court not the apex court. “This is not really a contempt case it is a public security case, what they did was threatening public order, and in USA where I reside there will be investigation to establish whether the threat is credible, you know every fool can issue a threat but there must be established fact that people who made the said threat have the resources and the well without to carry out the threat, that is why I agree with the BNI when it concluded that the threats were not credible” he added.
The campaign manger of NPP in the 2008 elections maintained that the supreme court should not be seem as biased or discriminatory, because to him people have that are considered ‘big men’ have made similar if not dangerous pronouncement than that of Montie 3 saga but same justices of the supreme court did not take any action. Haven’t someone said if you are not man enough don’t come out during election day, as well as the infamous all die be die comment, what has anybody done to these people or these people are above the law, Dr Arthur Kennedy queried.