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NPP Arthur Kennedy Says The Reaction To The Pardon Of The Montie 3 Is Unwarranted And An Assault On A President Exercising His Constitutional Right

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‘Montie 3’

Arthur Kennedy, the maverick NPP politician who more often than not refuses to toe the party line, is back again with another not party endorsed position.
In an opinion piece dealing with the remission of the sentences of the Montie 3 granted by President Mahama to the three, Kennedy says the reaction to the President’s decision has been ‘over the top and reckless’.
According to Kennedy, who contested for NPP flagbearer in 2007, the President has simply exercised his constitutional prerogative, even if he doesn’t agree with the decision. He said there is nothing strange about the petition, as it’s only natural for people to exhaust all avenues when pleading for mercy.
“If the courts charged with dispensing justice can be merciful, why can’t the President who has the mandate to show mercy be merciful?” Kennedy wrote.
“You would think the President just staged his second coup, with apologies to the title of his first book.”
The Montie 3 – Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase – were jailed last month for contempt following their utterances on Maase’s program on Montie Fm, which included liberal threats on the lives of Supreme Court justices.
Read Arthur K’s full post below…
RECKLESS COMMENTS ON MUNTIE PARDONS MUST STOP
Let me begin this by restating that I was and remain opposed to the President’s pardon because while constitutional, it was not prudent.
However, the reactions to it have been over the top and reckless. Indeed, these reactions have the chance to do more harm to our constitutional order than the pardons. If the courts charged with dispensing justice can be merciful, why can’t the President who has the mandate to show mercy be merciful?
You would think the President just staged his second coup, with apologies to the title of his first book.
The leaders of the Judicial Service workers issued a statement that “we will not allow this to dampen our spirits”. Really? And their spirits have never been dampened by the pardon of murderers? Was their spirit dampened by the corrupt judges?
Then Hon. Ayikoi Otoo, a former Attorney General and counsel for Sir John, who immortalised himself before court in his plea for mercy invoking “Gbesie” opined that the pardons showed that the President is only a President for NDC members. Really, honourable? If you had lost the plea for mercy on behalf of Sir John, would you not have asked for a Presidential pardon? A lawyer who would plead for mercy before the courts but will not plead it before the President is a bad attorney and that is not Ayikoi Otoo.
John Ndebugre thinks it sets a bad constitutional precedent. What about all those pardons for murderers? What about joining the PNDC regime that overthrew an elected government, comrade?
While all these were egregious, Hon. Atta Akyea, whose client went to jail for contempt takes the cake. He described the pardon as “constitutional lawlessness”!! Ebei, lawyer Atta Akyea. I did not go to Achimota and I am more familiar with a stethoscope than syntax but how can something that is constitutional be lawless?
All these lawyers should be explaining to us laypeople why the President’s action is constitutional and consistent with the biblical and Shakespearean injunction to “temper justice with mercy”, instead of confusing us. As for the NPP, it should be careful about the traps it is laying for future NPP presidents!!
We should focus on the learning points of this episode. The case should have been prosecuted by the AG before another court. The lawyers for the accused should have been more vigourous in their advocacy before the Supreme court.
The National Media Commission and media houses, together with GJA, should police the profession better. And finally, nobody who is not a government employee should be getting a paycheck from the government — As Mugabe is alleged to be getting.
God bless you all and Ghana.
Arthur Kobina Kennedy



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