In spite of their condemnation to prison for contempt, the three persons jailed by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, may be facing another trial for threatening justices of Ghana’s highest court with death, Mr John Ndebugri, a lawyer, has told Accra100.5FM.
Montie FM presenter Salifu Maase, aka Mugabe, and two panellists on his Pampaso political programme, Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn, were each found guilty of contempt by the Supreme Court for threatening to kill justices of the apex court.
Apart from the jail sentence, each of the three contemnors has been fined a sum of GHS10,000. The owners of the station including Mr Harry Zakkour, who is also the second vice chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress, as well as Mr Edward Addo, Ato Ahwoi, and Kwesi Kyei Atuah, have been fined GHS30,000 each. They are to pay the fine by the end of Thursday July 28 or risk a month’s jail term. The owners have also been asked by the Supreme Court to submit policy documents spelling out how to forestall similar happenings in the future. They have also been asked to ensure that none of their media outlets will be used to scandalise the court or bring it into disrepute.
But speaking on Acca FM’s breakfast show, Ghana Yensom Thursday July 28, Mr Ndebugri said the three convicts may not be out of the woods yet, as beyond lowering the authority of the court and bringing it into public ridicule, they could also be prosecuted for comments threatening the existence of members of the bench.
“I am telling you that…they are not yet out of the woods because when they come out or while they are in prison, they can still be brought to court and charged with threat of death, which is a more serious offence,” he explained to show host Chief Jerry Forson.
The former Zebilla MP said in the event of being convicted for such offence – a second degree felony – a jail term of up to 10 years could be imposed.
He advised against commentary on cases which were subjudice as it could get people roped in for contempt, explaining that the purpose of the law of contempt was to prevent the judicial system from being “bastardised” or from being dealt with “in such a way that that the general society will lose confidence in it”.
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