Supreme Court consolidates Montie 3 writs
The Supreme Court has consolidated three writs challenging the constitutionality of the former President‘s decision to pardon the ‘Montie three’ who were sentenced to four months for contempt.
Last year, the ‘Montie three’ were jailed, however, through a presidential pardon by former President John Dramani Mahama they were released after serving one month of their four month each jail terms.
The Supreme Court (SC) today explained that because the three suits were identical, it was consolidating them so they could be dealt with in one goal.
The seven member panel presided over by Justice Sophia Adinyira therefore ordered two of the three lawyers in the matter to file their memorandum of issues.
However Mr Godfred Yebua-Dame who is counsel for the plaintiff Nana Asante Bediatuo, being currently out of the jurisdiction was to get in touch with the other two lawyers and file their memorandum of issues.
It further directed the parties to contact the Court Registrar for a date to be fixed for definite hearing.
The SC directive came after lawyers for the Plaintiffs namely: Nana Bediatuo Asante, Mr Elikplim Agbemava and Mr Alfred T. Yeboah, all lawyers agreed agreed with the court to consolidate the cases.
Ghana News Agency information indicates that on January 12, this year Mr Justice Yaw Appau, a sole judge who sat over the case revealed that there were three different suits challenging the constitutionality of the former President’s decision.
The Court noted that the plaintiffs in the matter had filed similar suits.
The Attorney General (AG) represented by Mrs Grace Oppong, Principal State Attorney, entered appearance and the court gave the AG seven days to file its statement of case in response to the matter.
GNA files indicates that Former President Mahama granted the Montie three a presidential pardon after they had served one month of their respective jail terms.
The suit was filed by Nana Bediatuo Asante in September last year, however, the state did not respond to the suit until a few days ago when the AG entered appearance.
Plaintiffs were seeking a declaration that the Ex-President action at the time was unconstitutional.
The three were found guilty and sentenced following their threats on the airwaves to kill Supreme Court judges who were among a seven member panel hearing a case in which one Abu Ramadan challenged the eligibility of the voters register before the country’s 2016 elections.
The ‘Montie three’ are Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase aka Mugabe.
Source: GNA