A private legal practitioner has welcomed a last gasp apology by Montie FM whose managers have been cited by the Supreme Court for criminal contempt together with two panelists- Allistair Nelson and Godwin Ako-Gunn.

Francis Xavier Sosu believes the apology is "timely" and "critical" and may mitigate any punishment the justices of the Supreme Court are planning to mete out to the contemnors.

The two panelists, Nelson and Ako Gunn stand accused of making threatening comments against the justices of the Supreme Court during a discussion on a political show.

The two allegedly vowed to take the lives of the judges if a ruling on a controversial voter's register case did not go the way they wanted.

The two made the comments on June 29, 2016, a day to the celebration of the 34th Martyrs Day celebration to mark the abduction and murder of three judges in 1982.

Allistair singled out the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, lambasted her in many unprintable words but has since apologised for his comment following a barrage of criticism from institutions like the Ghana Bar Association, Media Foundation for West Africa and the Association of Judges and Magistrates.

However Godwin Ako-Gunn denied ever making any threatening comments against the justices of the Supreme Court.

A day after the Supreme Court summoned the two panelists, together with the host of the political show and the owner of the station for contempt, managers of Montie FM have issued a statement of apology, describing the comments by the panelists as regrettable.

They have also dissociated themselves from the comments made by the two panelists.

Whilst some critics describe the apology as too late in the day, Lawyer Francis Sosu-Xavier believes the apology was in order.

He told Joy News people are cited for contempt because they are believed to have conducted themselves in ways that injure the reputation of the court or interfered with the due administration of the court and an apology is only part of the purging process.

"One of the ways to mitigate the sentence is the steps you take to purge yourself," he said. He pointed out that the steps taken when one is cited for contempt is critical and applauded Montie FM for taking the right step.

He was however doubtful of the contempt charge against managers of the station. He said the comments alleged to have been made by the panelists were criminal in nature and wondered how the managers of the station who played no role in the utterances would be held liable for same.