Pardon repented Sir John – NDC lawyer

A sad Chris Ackumey is pleading that the Supreme Court deal leniently with a remorseful NPP General Secretary also known as ‘Sir John’ when the court meets to decide his fate after he made disparaging comments about the presiding judge hearing Ghana’s election petition.

He said ever since the panel of judges first hinted in July this year that it will be dealing with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary of his comments, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie has been having sleepless nights and this should be enough deterrent to the NPP scribe.

The panel of nine judges is hearing an election petition which involves petitioners arguing for and respondents arguing against the declaration of John Mahama as winner of presidential polls organized by the Electoral Commission in December 2012.

The course of the hearing has generated a lot of controversial and denigrating comments from the public, forcing the judges to give a final warning to punish anybody found to have made contemptuous statements.

It is after this final warning also known as the ‘final touchline’ that the NPP General Secretary on 25th June 2013 descended on Justice Atuguba who is presiding judge of the panel and described him as a hypocrite, a voodoo deity and a joker.

This comment incurred the displeasure of the judges to promise in court on July 8th 2013 to deal with the matter in due course.

After days since this hint by the court, the date for dealing with the matter was set unexpectedly on Friday 8th August 2013. The court is ordering the NPP General Secretary to appear before the Court on the 14th day of August, 2013.

Speaking on the matter on Newsfile, Lawyer Chris Ackumey was sympathetic to the looming plight of the General Secretary, especially after two persons – NDC’s Stephen Atubiga and Ken Kuranchie, Daily Searchlight were sentenced to three days and ten days respectively after making similar comments.

The lawyer referred to a local proverb that says “when you go hunting and you meet an animal on its knees, you don’t shoot it”, implying that mercy be shown to a helpless man in danger.

The lawyer was joined in a chorus of sympathy by other panelists. Malik Kweku Baako, managing editor of the New Crusading Guide said he was surprised by the sudden revisiting of the case. He said the court was been wary not to leave the matter unresolved as the hearing comes to its final ruling.

Gabby Otchere Darko, of the Danquah Institute noted that previous sentences have significantly checked improper comments made in the media especially comments from the general secretaries of NPP and NDC.

A former Chief of Staff Nana Ato Dadzie added that he could see himself pleading in court on behalf of an apologetic Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.