It’s Ayikoi Otoo’s time; let him savour it – Ato Dadzie

Former Chief of Staff in the Rawlings administration, Nana Ato Dadzie, says nobody can rob former Attorney General, Nii Ayikoi Otoo, of credit for successfully saving main opposition New Patriotic Party General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, and fellow party communicator, Hopeson Adorye, from the jaws of prison.

“You can’t take anything away from Ayikoi Otoo. It’s his time”, Mr. Ato Dadzie said on Friday.

The former Justice Minister was the defence Counsel for the two politicians who were summoned by the Supreme Court for criminal contempt in connection with the 2012 presidential poll dispute.

Mr. Owusu Afriyie, also known as Sir John, was summoned for using words against the president of the nine-member panel of Judges, Justices William Atuguba, which the Bench found uncomplimentary and so hauled him before the Supreme Court to answer for it.

Mr. Adorye, on the other hand, threatened to behead supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress, if the Court ruled in favour of the first respondent, President John Mahama.

In defending the two politicians, Mr. Ayikoi Otoo leveraged his camaraderie with some of the Justices on the panel, and also used humour to argue for a mitigated sentence for his clients.

The former AG, who was celebrating his 59th birthday on the day of the hearing, also prayed the Justices not to impose a custodial sentence on his clients as a birthday present.

Despite the scolding of the Contemnors by Justice Atuguba and other members of the Bench, Sir John and Mr. Adorye were spared imprisonment, but fined Ghc7,000 in total, and also made to sign a bond of good behaviour.

Some legal brains have argued that the fact that Nii Ayikoi Otoo used tactfulness to rescue his client amounts to injustice.

However, speaking on Joy FM’s news analysis programme newsfile on Saturday, Nana Ato Dadzie said Mr. Ayikoi Otoo deserves all the accolades and fame that have come his way after his successful defence of the two.