Lawyers for convicted presenter and two panelists of an Accra-based Montie FM have hinted they will be petitioning President John Mahama to pardon their clients.

Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, who is one of the lawyers, says their aim is not for the President to revert the sentences but to consider the three men regarding the custodial sentence.

A custodial sentence is a judicial sentence imposing a punishment consisting of mandatory custody of the convict in prison.

“We have already started serving the term. We paid the GH¢10,000 penalty for each one of them so they have started serving the four months jail term, but we are rather pleading with the President, based on the advice of my clients, to pardon them in respect of the custodial sentence,” he said.

Mr Tamakloe disclosed this in an interview with Evans Mensah, host of Joy FM’s Top Story programme when reacting to the aftermath of the conviction of the three men.

Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday sentenced a presenter of Montie FM, Salifu Maase popularly known as Mugabe and two presenters, Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn for comments which the SC deemed were in comtempt of the good name of the court. 

The panelists encouraged by Mr Maase threatened to murder justices of the superior court if their ruling in an electoral roll case brought against the Electoral Commission (EC) by a former National Youth Organiser of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and Evans Nimako does not favour the EC.

The comment was made on the eve of the 34^th Anniversary of the murder of the three judges of the High Court by some operatives of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC).

They were summoned and charged with contempt resulting in the Presiding Judge, Justice Sophia Akufo handing them four months jail term each with a penalty of GH¢10,000 each.

This has generated much tension in the country with some faithful of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) marching to the party’s headquarters to press for the release of the three men.

They called on the party’s leadership to appeal to President Mahama to activate his powers found in Article 72 of the 1992 Constitution to pardon them.

Article 72 (1)(a-d) of the Constitution says the President of the Republic, may acting in consultation with the Council of State, decide to exercise the Prerogative of Mercy or just grant amnesty to convicted people.

This constitutional provision is one of the special powers President Mahama can activate to grant people convicted of various crimes on humanitarian grounds or for reconciliatory purposes.

Mr Tamakloe says his clients deserve to be pardoned by President Mahama because they have shown remorse for their misdeeds.

He says the men are not challenging sentencing by the court, but rather want the jail term to be reconsidered by the President.

“They are very clear on their conscience. It is clear that they have slipped and have rendered an unqualified apology for their misdeeds. They need to be forgiven,” he said.