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A pressure group, the FREE MONTIE3 MOVEMENT, says it “expects to see" the trio who were sentenced to four months in prison and a fine of GHC 10,000 each by the Supreme Court on Wednesday after being found guilty of contempt charges brought against them by the court,
"walking the streets of Accra within the next few days.”

The FREE MONTIE3 MOVEMENT says a "presidential pardon for the three" will be in order as it cannot "accept this despicable abuse of power by the judiciary".

The pressure group was formed to kick-start a mass campaign to free Mugabe Maase, Godwin Ako Gunn and Alistair Nelson. And as part of its campaign for the freeing of the contemnors, the movement intends organizing a Candlelight vigil tonight Thursday, 28th July, 2016. 

In a statement issued in Accra today, the FREE MONTIE3 MOVEMENT has thrown an open invite to “all friends of free speech, fairness and justice" to the "premises of Radio Gold at 7 pm" tonight to press home their demand for the trio to be set free.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sent a strong warning to people making irresponsible comments on media platforms by sentencing two radio panellists and a programme host to four months’ imprisonment each for scandalising the court.

The two panellists, Allistair Tairo Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn and the host, Salifu Maase alias Mugabe were also to pay Ghc10,000 each or in default serve an additional one month in prison.

The trio, together with the directors of Network Broadcasting Company Limited (NBCL), operators of Montie FM, the radio station on whose platforms the comments were made, and ZeZe Media, owners of the frequency - 100.1 FM- were on July 18 convicted for contempt of the apex court.

NBCL and Zeze were also fined Ghc30,000 each at Wednesday’s sentencing and would have all their directors serving prison terms if they fail to pay the fine by close of work on Thursday, July 28.

They are also to present to the court how they intended to prevent contemptuous act from being repeated and as well produce the policies and measures that it had developed with regard t its operations.

Mixed reactions have greeted the ruling though. While some describe it as "harsh and shocking" and the "justices not impartial", others hail it as "apt" since it could stem "vulgar abuse" of the airwaves

With “Evil Triumps When Good Men Keep Silent" as its mantra, one of the group's Convenors, Owula Mangortey, who is a traditionalist from Shai-Osudoku said, “We are seeking and expecting immediately a Presidential pardon for the three. We will not and cannot accept this despicable abuse of power by the judiciary at this important stage of our democratic experience.”

He said, the Free the Montie3 Movement “expects to see and will see Mugabe, Ako Gunn and Alistair walking the streets of Accra within the next few days.”

The formation of the group comes in the wake of incessant pressure being mounted on President John Dramani Mahama to exercise his prerogative powers of mercy to get the trio released from jail. The rank and file of the ruling NDC have expressed their anger and disdain about the Supreme Court ruling. They complained that key figures and all the prominent lawyers in the party have filed to intervene to save the trio from being sent to jail.

The have vowed not to vote for the party in the upcoming elections if nothing is done about the situation.