Montie FM, host, panellists face Supreme Court today
Two political commentators who allegedly threatened the lives of justices of the superior court are expected to appear before the Supreme Court today to show cause why they should not be punished for contempt of court.
Advertisement
Alistair Tairo Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn were ordered by the court to appear before it at 9:30 a.m today and defend their actions.
Apart from the two, the owner of Montie FM, the radio station where the two panellists made the alleged threats, and Salifu Masse, alias Mugabe, the host of the programme on which the comments were made, are also to appear before the apex court the same time today.
The Supreme Court in four different summons dated July 5, 2016 and signed by the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Theodora Wood, ordered the four individuals to appear before the court and explain why they should not be punished for contempt of court.
“You are hereby ordered to show cause why you should not be committed to prison for contempt of court for thereby: (a) scandalising the court, (b) defying and lowering the authority of this court and (c) bringing the authority of the court into disrepute,’’ the summons stated.
Summons
In the case of Nelson and Ako Gunn, their summons stated that on June 29, 2016, they allegedly made certain comments about the civil motion: Abu Ramadan and Evans Nimako vs the Electoral Commission and Attorney-General, which was pending before the court.
“It has been alleged that as a panellist on the said programme, you threatened and scandalised this court in a manner which, if proven against you, would amount to contempt of this honourable court,” the summons stated.
The summons issued to Montie FM explained that “the two panellists ran commentary on the station owned by you in respect to the Abu Ramadan and Evans Nimako vs the Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General’’.
Other Trending Stories
“The panellists, allegedly spurred on by the host of the said programme, are alleged to have threatened and scandalised this court in a manner which, if proven against them, would amount to contempt of this honourable court,’’ the summons said.
Masse received a similar summons which said “the two panellists were spurred on by you, the host, on the said programme.’’
Apologies and condemnation
Nelson, 41, and Ako Gunn, 39, allegedly issued threats of harm or death on Supreme Court and High Court judges on June 29, 2016, the eve of the Martyrs Day commemoration.
Nelson has apologised for the comments but Gunn has insisted that although he had made comments regarding the Abu Ramadan and Electoral Commission case, he was not in the studio of Montie FM on June 29, 2016.
Montie FM has, meanwhile, condemned the utterances and apologised to the Chief Justice and justices of the Supreme Court.