Supreme court defers Montie FM’s contempt case

The five-member panel presided over by Justices Sophia Akufo adjourned case after the defendants contended that they were only served with the summons this morning, hence had not properly prepared to answer the charges.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday 5, cited the owners of the radio station, the Host of the ‘Pampaso’ programme and the two panelists for contempt and asked them in a summons to explain why they should not be punished for scandalising the court, defying and lowering the authority of the court, and bringing the authority of the court into disrepute.

The two panelists, Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn, were alleged to have threatened to “finish” the Supreme Court judges if they made any judgment against the Electoral Commission in a court case challenging the validity of the voters’ register, whilst the host of the programme Salifu Maase also known as ‘Mugabe’ was alleged to have urged the panelist on in their attacks on the justices.

The presiding Judge said the court wanted all the owners of the station to appear before it either as shareholders or Directors and not just one person as was the case today.

The Accra-based station was represented by one Edward Addo but the court wanted all the Directors of the company to appear before it.

“We will not countenance any excuses in our next sitting. We will commence full business on the next adjourned date,” she said.

Earlier, the Chief Justice Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood and Justice Sulley Gbadegbe stepped-down from the case to pave the way for Justices Sophia Akufo and Julius Ansah to join a reconstituted panel.

The two said, they were directly mentioned by the panelists in their alleged threat to kill judges sitting on the voters’ register case and wanted to avoid any pretense of conflict of interest.

The panel consist of Justice Baffoe Bonnie, Justice Anin Yeboah, Sophia Akufo, Justice Julius Ansah and Justice Anthony Alfred Benin.

Source: GNA/NewsGhana.com.gh