Jailing odds are against Sir John - Ken Kuranchie

Managing Editor of the Daily Searchlight Newspaper, Ken Kuranchie, has told XYZ News he will not be surprised if the General Secretary of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is jailed for contempt today.

“I will be surprised if he is not jailed,” Mr. Kuranchie told Radio XYZ’s flagship news analysis programme ‘Strict Proof’ Tuesday evening.

The journalist, who was jailed for 10 days for contempt of the Supreme Court about a couple of months ago, says the tone of the summons against Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, also known as Sir John and another member of the NPP’s Communication team Hopeson Adorye, is tantamount to a guilty verdict.

The summons, concerning Sir John, quoted The Enquirer Newspaper of Friday July 5, 2013 as having described the Presiding Justice of the nine-member Supreme Court panel, Justice William Atuguba as a “hypocrite” and “a joker who pampers” the Counsel for the third respondent in the case, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, but “scolds” the Counsel for the Petitioners, Mr. Philip Addison.

Sir John, according to the summons, made the comments on private radio station Oman FM on June 24, 2013.

The NPP General Secretary is also quoted by the summons to have said that Justice Atuguba always wore a frown that made him resemble “a voodoo deity”.

The summons further quoted The Enquirer as saying that Sir John had said “Justice Atuguba, by his actions, was up to hypocritical antics that is intended to lead NPP not to get the opportunity to play a tape recording of the Electoral Commissioner, Dr Kwadwo Afari- Gyan’s voice, declaring that ‘No verification, no vote’, so that the president can win the case.”

The court, therefore, asked Sir John to come and “show cause why you should not be committed to prison for contempt of this court, thereby scandalising the court, lowering the authority and credibility of this court in the eyes of the general public, and exciting hatred and ill-will towards 1st and 2nd respondent herein.”

Hopeson Adorye on the other hand, has been summoned for threatening to decapitate supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress if the Supreme Court ruled against his party’s 2012 Flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the two other Petitioners in the case.

The summons quotes Hopeson Adorye as having said: “We shall cut the heads of NDC supporters if Supreme Court declares Prez Mahama Winner”.

The alleged comment was published in the Monday July 8, 2013 edition of the Daily Post Newspaper.

He is quoted to have said on Obuasi-based private station Time FM, on June 26, 2013, that “the NPP will…go on a head cutting spree, cutting off the heads of NDC supporters should the Supreme Court declare President Mahama the winner.”