The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river—-Ross Perot

According to PeaceFmOnline;

The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, tempered justice with mercy when it decided not to strike hard on Sammy Awuku, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Deputy Communications Director for making presumptuous comments regarding a warning the court issued this week to deal with persons who misreport the court proceedings.

Presiding Judge in the ongoing Election Petition, Justice William Atuguba, who delivered the court’s decision said, though they have decided not to invoke their powers of contempt, they will restrict his appearance to court; thus barring the NPP communicator from coming to the courtroom to witness proceedings.

This was after he (Awuku) rendered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court for describing the Bench as “hypocritical and selective” in its reprimand of errant commentators and reportage by both the media and political Analysts.

Mr Awuku appeared before the court Wednesday afternoon after Justice William Atuguba served notice it was going to deal with comments he (Sammy Awuku) made during PeaceFM’s flagship programme, “Kokrokoo”.

The NPP Communicator, who personally turned himself in after the court declared him “wanted”, withdrew his choice of words in open court which he used to describe the Court’s earlier warnings.

After saying he was wrong, he again told the Court he would apologise on Peacefm this evening at 6pm.

“My Lords I apologise unreservedly for any embarrassment my comments may have caused the Court”, Mr. Awuku remorsefully said in Court on Wednesday June 26, 2013.

Counsel on both sides pleaded on his behalf to dealt with leniently and said his show of remorse should be enough warning to others.

The judges then decided to retire and ponder over the matter with their ruling.

After close to an hour of pondering over the issue in chambers, Justice Atuguba read the decision they have reached.

According to him, having considered the candid admission by Sammy Awuku and the apology issued, they have decided not to invoke their powers of contempt but to restrict his appearance to court.

He ruled that as the first of its punitive measures against all others who have decided to disrespect the authority of the judges, Sammy Awuku is banned from witnessing proceedings.

Moments after the ruling, profuse appreciation quickly poured in from counsel from parties on both sides of the petition.