General News of Thursday, 28 July 2016

Source: 3news.com

NDC supporters destroy Mahama posters over Montie 3 imprisonment

Mahama's posters (File photo) Mahama's posters (File photo)

The National Democratic Congress says the imprisonment of two of its communicators has destabilised the party, and caused some of its supporters to attack the party headquarters in Accra.

Some supporters of the party who were angered by the prison sentence of the two stormed the headquarters at Adabraka where they destroyed posters of the party’s candidate, President John Mahama, National Chairman, Kofi Portuphy has told Onua FM.

“They destroyed President Mahama’s posters and if I were to be in the office by then, Satan would have worked and something might have happened to me because they destroyed my office glasses,” he told host of Yen Sempa, Bright Asempa in Twi Tuesday.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sentenced the two communicators of the party – Godwin Ako Gunn and Alistair Nelson – to four months in prison for making contemptuous statements against the judges of the Court.

They were also asked to pay GHC10, 000 each in fines by close of work Thursday or serve one more month in default. But the National Democratic Congress has since condemned the sentencing, describing it as paradoxical in the face of the orders it gave the National Media Commission in regulating media firms in Ghana in another case.

Speaking on the matter, Mr. Portuphy said himself and the party are shocked by the punishment handed their two communicators to the extent that he cried, noting “the sentence has created disunity in the party”.

He did not understand why the Court did not follow a similar contempt case against Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie during the 2012 Election Petition hearing.

The Court, in that case, was only cautioned by the court without any custodial sentence.

Petition for pardon commenting on the petition to the president by the lawyers of the two convicts, the NDC chairman said he was optimistic President Mahama will intervene in the matter using his powers under Article 72(1).

“I will be surprised if the President does not respond,” he said, adding that the constitution gives him that the power to pardon the convicts based on consultation with the Council of State.