Mugabe Cries For Protection

The embattled Montie FM afternoon political programme host, Salifu Maase popularly called Mugabe, who has been cited for contempt alongside others by the Supreme Court, is on his knees begging the court to “tamper justice with mercy and compassion.” He filed an affidavit in opposition yesterday to an application for contempt brought against him by Richard Asante Yeboah. Already, there is another special summons titled, “Summons to Show Cause” issued on Tuesday, July 5, and signed by James Mensah, acting registrar of the Supreme Court in Accra, given under the hand and seal of the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, against Mugabe, owners of Montie FM as well as two National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists – one of who threatened to kill judges over issues relating to the Electoral Commission (EC). After he had been summoned, he accused the justices of playing tribal cards, stating that he was being hauled before the Supreme Court because he is a Northerner. He stated that he was not afraid of jail because people who are far better than him had gone to jail and back. However, Mugabe, in his affidavit, admitted that he works at Montie FM and is the host of ‘Pampaso’ and said, “But my appointment with the station was suspended on 4th July, 2016 until further notice due to the matters giving rise to the application herein.” He averred that he “took part and participated in a programme on Montie FM on the said days but I deny threatening to kill Supreme Court and High Court justices because I was not happy with the orders directing the Electoral Commission to furnish this hounourable court with the list of NHIS card holders.” According to Mugabe, he did not urge on the panelists on his show to cast aspersions on any judge of the court and explained that a particular remark he made bordered on statements made by Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, and said it should not be considered as undermining the dignity, authority and sanctity of the court. “I did not know the statements I made were contemptuous” as claimed by the applicant, adding, “I did not ask that the passport of the Chief Justice alone should be seized.” He averred, “I did not willfully make clear statements which were intended to undermine the dignity, sanctity, and authority of this honourable court. Later, after carefully listening to the transcript attached to the affidavit in support, I realized that some of the statements made by me and the others on the 24th June could be contemptuous.” He said on 29th June, “I cautioned the panelists prior to the commencement of the programme to desist from making any unsavoury statements about the judiciary in general and the Supreme Court in particular. “On the programme I made clear statements showing respect for our courts in general and the Supreme Court in particular, thereby negating what we had stated earlier. On the said programme I also praised Hon. Lady Chief Justice for the good work she had done and continues to do.” According to Mugabe, “Unfortunately, during the programme a panelist suddenly got carried away and made some unfortunate statements about the judiciary which sadly, I could not stop,” and averred that Godwin Ako Gunn was not on the programme on June 29, 2016. Tribal Bigotry Interestingly, Mugabe was on radio last week saying that he was being targeted for a sanction because he is from the northern part of Ghana. In what looks like a clear case of tribal bigotry, he said, “Because Mugabe is Tani (a person from the northern part of Ghana) and because Ntafuo are not human beings, he should be sacrificed, he should be silenced in Ghana so that we can leave them alone to do their work.” Boastfulness Just as the court was preparing the invitation on July 5, Mugabe was boasting on radio that he is not so special to go to jail because important personalities had been jailed before. “Nobody fears anything in this country. We only respect the law. When you go to Nsawam important personalities like Tsatsu Tsikata, Victor Selormey (RIP), Kwame Peprah were all there. Are Alistair and Ako Gunn or Mugabe more important than them?” Montie Scapegoat He continued, “Nobody at Montie has offended the law. They want to use someone from Montie as a scapegoat but they won’t succeed,” boasting, “I have said that if you fire a gun at me I’ll hit back ten times. If you fire ten I’ll fire 20. If you fire 20 I’ll fire 40. If they stop ruffling feathers the noise will also stop.” The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication Team, Alistair Tairo Nelson, 41 and Godwin Ako Gunn, 39 who were both panelists on Pampaso as well as the owner(s) of Montie FM have also been cited for contempt of court.