Amnesty International backs ‘Montie 3’ pardon

Human rights advocacy group, Amnesty International (AI), has backed calls for an Executive action to free two panelists and a host of pro-government radio station who have been jailed for contempt.
Executive Director of the Ghana chapter of AI, Lawrence Amesu, told Joy News President John Mahama would not be doing anything wrong if he evokes Article 72 of the Constitution that enables him to grant the trio Presidential Pardon.
“If the President decides to give pardon to the three, we will be applauding the government,” he said.
Godwin Ako Gunn and Alistair Nelson two panelists on a local-language political talk show together with host of the programme, Maase Salifu were jailed four months last month by the Supreme Court for criminal contempt.
The panelists had threatened to harm the judges for what they claim was bias in their ruling on a case that was seeking the a declaration that the electoral roll was not credible for the December general elections.
The host, according to the Court, fuelled the comments by the panelists to make the criminal comments.
Since the sentencing of the three, pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been pushing for a Presidential Pardon, holding that the 4-month jail term was too harsh.
A petition to free the trio has been signed by prominent government and party officials. The Parrots sources say the President is likely to respond to the petitions this week.
The push for an Executive action has been described as dangerous as it will be seen as undermining the Judiciary.
However Mr Amesu says the President would only be doing what the Constitution allows him to do.
“The Judiciary also knows that there are three arms of government and each of these institutions have responsibilities. And if the Executive looks at the situation and under its powers under the Constitution takes a decision, I do not think the Judiciary would complain,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trades and Industry Minister, Ekwow Spio Garbrah, says the petition signed by his colleague ministers for President Mahama to pardon the three jailed contemnors must not be mistaken to be an endorsement of their conduct.
Dr Spio-Garbrah, who is the latest to have visited the three, says the trio deserves mercy although their attack on the Judiciary was in bad taste.