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President Mahama has been flogged heavily by some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for using his constitutional powers under Article 72 of the Constitution to remit the remaining prison sentence imposed on three persons for scandalizing the court.

The NPP has asked President John Dramani Mahama to reverse his decision to free the three persons convicted for criminal contempt of the Supreme Court and in a statement signed by their Director of Communications, Nana Akomea, the party said the president’s decision might put the lives of judges in danger.

But a leading member of the National Democratic Congress, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, has called the bluff of the NPP.

The Member of Parliament for Banda who is also the Second Deputy Majority Chief Whip, stated in an interview with Peacefmonline.com that several members of the NPP who have contributed on the trending issue have deliberately been inequitable and economical with the truth.  

According to him, the same party (NPP) cried and called on a “merciful” President Mahama when a member of their party Adamu Dramani Sakande, who was MP for Bawku Central was sentenced to two years imprisonment over his dual citizenship.

President Mahama listened to their plea and tampered justice with mercy by granting the former Bawku MP Presidential pardon as a constitutional requirement.

The precedent makes it extremely difficult for Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim to side with members of the NPP who have taken a hostile posture against President Mahama for freeing the Montie trio.

He cautioned the general public not to narrow their scope and play propaganda with the issue.

“If you allow the propaganda to blindfold you too much, you lose your professional capacity and competence on the international stage’, he cautioned.

The Supreme Court handed a four-month prison sentence to the Host of the ‘Pampaso’ political show on Accra-based Montie FM, Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe, and two panelists, Alistair Nelson, and Godwin Ako Gunn, for threatening to kill judges of the Supreme Court during a radio discussion.

The three were also fined Ghc30,000, with each of them paying Ghc10,000. The directors of the station, Harry Zakuor, Ato Ahwoi, Edward Addo and Kwesi Kyei Atuah, who are managers of the two media companies, Network Broadcasting Limited and Zeze Media, were made to a total amount of Ghc60,000 to top that of contemnors up.

Should the judgment considered as “contentious” by Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim be allowed to stand without raising any question, it would wouldn’t augur well for the nation.

“There are several politicians in NPP and NDC who have FM stations and are regular panellist on shows. So looking at the contempt judgment the Supreme Court gave, it becomes binding on all high courts and if we should allow this law to stay, it would hurt the owners of radio stations who have nothing to do with what was said on their own networks”.

He ended by calling on the Ghana Bar Association to work together with the Attorney General to address the “defective law”.

“If parliament can commit defective laws, so can the judiciary”, he said.