General News of Monday, 22 February 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Use the same medium to retract your 'dangerous' comments - Supreme Court to Ayine

Dominic Ayine has been asked to apologize through the same medium for his contemptuous comments play videoDominic Ayine has been asked to apologize through the same medium for his contemptuous comments

The Supreme Court has charged Dominic Ayine, lawyer for the NDC in the ongoing 2020 Election Petition hearing to employ the same medium he used in making some "dangerous" comments, to retract them before Thursday, February 25, 2021.

Dominic Ayine mounted the box on Monday, February 22, 2021, over some utterances he made in an address to the media, on the continuing proceedings in the court which were considered contemptuous.

But when the former Deputy Minister for Justice and Attorney General got the chance to speak, he offered an unqualified apology which the Court promptly accepted.

"My Lord Chief Justice, I did say those words. My attention was drawn to the fact that I might have crossed the line by Mr. Frank Davies. And on advice and consultations with my lawyers, I have written to the court, rendering an unqualified apology," he told the court.

In response, the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, asked Dominic Ayine to use the same medium through which he made those comments, to apologize and retract his comments.

"We are comfortable with the apology but what we can do, is to let him go back and purge the contempt. He spoke to the whole world on television. He should tell the people that he is very very sorry and what he did was wrong. And that is all.

"We are not going to fine him. We are not going to give him a bond but at least, coming from someone who has acted as Attorney General if we don't take any action, it is going to send a dangerous signal elsewhere. So, if he does it today, the court will assemble on Thursday and just strike out this matter. That is all. We are not exacting any serious, punitive measures against him" he ruled.