Montie FM panellists’ threats empty – BNI

Judiciary judges

The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) says the threats issued by the two panellists on Montie FM were empty because they were incapable of carrying them.

The BNI said they issued the death threats against the justices of the Supreme Court “in a show of needless bravado”.

A release by the state investigative body on Thursday, July 7 said investigations over the threats are still ongoing and the two are to report three times a week at its headoffice.

Alistair Tairo Nelson, 41, and Godwin Ako Gunn, 39, went on verbal spree to threaten death on the Supreme Court judges hearing the case on the voters’ register, claiming to replicate the 1982 murder of three high court judges.

The two were immediately picked up by the BNI with several bodies and individuals condemning their action.

“The arrest was premised on the fact that their comments were considered provocative, inflammatory, and unacceptable and had the potential of creating security challenges.

“In arresting the two [2], the BNI took into consideration the current volatile security situation in the country as we inch towards the 2016 elections.”

The two as well as the radio station have since apologised for the entire incident.

Nonetheless, the owner, the host as well as the two panellists of the station have been summoned to appear before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, July 12 in a contempt case filed against them.

‘Intemperate vituperations’

The BNI expressed concern about the recent verbal vituperations that have recently plagued the nation’s print and electronic media.

“This is a serious security concern that we will not allow festering.”

It described the vituperation as intemperate full of personal attacks and outright insults.

The Bureau, therefore, warned: “As part of our constitutional mandate to safeguard Ghana’s political the environment for all Ghanaians, we advise all discussants to avoid intemperate and inflammatory language and innuendoes that have the tendency to create fear and panic and that tend to cause breaches of the peace.”

It assured the judiciary, Ghanaians in general and the diplomatic corps that “we shall continue to work with all the other State Security Agencies to ensure their safety at all times”.

The BNI warned: “We will not hesitate to invoke the full sanctions of the law against any media house which ignores this warning.”

Source: 3news.com|Ghana

Twitter: @3Newsgh

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