The incarceration of the Montie trio is appropriate, hence the President must disregard the petition to pardon them, a former Minister of Trade and Industry in the erstwhile Kufuor administration, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku has said.

“We need to restore dignity to the appropriate officers. If NPP person insults the President, or any other political leader in our country, I will not encourage it . we can disagree but to get on the radio and let yourself be taken over is absolutely unacceptable,” he said.

According to him, it will be a grave mistake for President Mahama to yield in to such pressure by his Ministers, insisting that the trio must be made to serve their sentence fully.

Interacting with Bola Ray on Starr Chat Wednesday, Dr. Apraku said:”It cannot be the case that a judgment is given today and the President the next day invokes his Prerogative Right of Mercy. It will affect this country, our reputation, the perception about Ghana as well. The ramification of it in terms of investor confidence will be incredible. The President doesn’t need to do this. ”

There have been calls on the President to pardon the three who were thrown into jail for a four month sentence after being found guilty of contempt by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile President John Dramani Mahama has presented to the Council of State the petitions he received in respect of the incarceration of three (3) persons for contempt of court.

The petitions were received from lawyers of the jailed Montie Presenter, Salifu Maase, and his two guests, Ako Gunn and Alistair Nelson and a Civil Society Group, Research & Advocacy Platform.