Ataa Akyea, counsel for imprisoned journalist, Ken Kuranchie, says he is disappointed that justice has not been done to his client. A defiant Editor of the Daily Search-light Newspaper, Ken Kuranchie, was yesterday sentenced to 10 days imprisonment, having been found guilty of criminal contempt by the Supreme Court.
Atta Akyea said the judge�s intimidating presence could not allow his client or him, to fully express themselves. ��I couldn�t express myself in full��, Atta Akyea confessed.
In his view, the procedure for trying his client was questionable.
It should have been referred to the Attorney-General, who would have to file a motion and invite a response from his client. This view was partly expressed by Justice Dotse during the hearing.
With the benefit of hindsight, the lawyer said he would have approached the case from a different approach. Atta Akyea revealed that an order to appear before the court could not be made into a trial for contempt. "I never knew that��, he said.
If the Judges had perceived Ken�s statement was already contemptuous then there was no reason for coming to defend him. He referred to how Kwaku Boahen was let off simply on the basis of producing a newspaper retraction that had wrongly stated the facts.
The way to go was for all the parties summoned to file an affidavit, without it, it becomes ��a recipe for chaos��, a disappointed Atta Akyea said.
He ruled out appealing against the conviction. Challenging the sentencing was ��of no use��, he said. His client could be out before he finished filling a review of the decision.
Nonetheless, he explained the sentencing would not be placed on his record.
This is because it was a quasi-criminal offence and could not be equated to offences such as stealing.
Source: Daily Guide
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