Ghana president pardons three jailed media men

Ghana President John Dramani Mahama has remitted the remaining prison sentence imposed on three media men by the Supreme Court last month.

A statement attributed to the Minister for Communications, Edward Omane Boamah, said here on Monday said that the decision was taken in consultation with the Council of State (Highest constitutional advisory body to the president) and in exercise of his constitutional powers.

The three, Salifu Maase, Alistair Nelson and Ako Gunn who were sentenced to four-month imprisonment by the Supreme Court, and a fined 10,000 Ghana Cedis (2,527 U.S Dollars) each for contempt of court.

The three had on their radio program threatened Supreme Court Justices sitting on the petition seeking an order to expunge names of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Card voter registrants from the voters'roll with death.

The Supreme Court had ruled earlier that it was unconstitutional to register people using the NHIS cards as proof of their citizenship.

The jailing of the three resulted in heated debates across the country. Leading members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) signed a petition urging the president to grant the three a pardon.

The statement said the remission takes effect from Friday after serving one month out of the four months imposed by the court.

"The decision of the President to remit their sentences on compassionate grounds follows a petition submitted to him by the contemnors appealing to the President to exercise his prerogative of mercy," said the statement.

"President Mahama takes this opportunity to remind all Ghanaians of the need to respect the institutions of State and exercise freedom of speech responsibly mindful of the need to preserve peace and national unity,"it added. Endit