A private legal practitioner has paid glowing tribute to former Attorney General Ayikoi Otoo whose advocacy and legal prowess saved the NPP General Secretary Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie and a member of the NPP communication team Hopeson Adorye from going to jail.
Kingsley Boahene said Ayikoi Otoo saved the day in court with the quality of legal representation he gave his clients in court on Wednesday.
Afriyie, known in political circles as Sir John and Hopeson Adorye had been summoned to the court after they made disparaging remarks against the Supreme Court hearing the Presidential Election Petition.
Earlier contemnors- Stephen Atubiga, Ken Kuranchie- had been handed custodial sentences, three and ten days respectively for making similar contemptuous remarks.
Even though there had been several pleas for the judges to temper justice with mercy and palpable attempts to purge Sir John and Adorye from the contempt charges, prison sentences for the two remained a huge possibility.
The NPP women’s wing then organised a night of vigil and a prayer of redemption for Sir John and Adorye as the two face the Supreme Court and on the day of reckoning, Otoo did not disappoint.
The former Attorney General dazzled the judges and even managed to water down the anger of the presiding Judge William Atuguba.
He pleaded with the judges to give him a birthday gift by setting free the two contemnors brought before them.
Atuguba, in spite of his anger, showed huge respect and admiration to Otoo and demanded to know why he had not taken up a career at the bench.
Instead of a jail sentence, the judges handed the two- fines of 5,000 and 2,000 cedis to Sir John and Hopeson Adorye respectively with a bond to be of good behavior.
Speaking to Joy News on the matter, Kingsley Boahene applauded Ayikoi Otoo for his dexterity and style.
He said for Otoo to have sung the Woyome song in court just to ease the tension was a master stroke.
Kingsley Boahene admitted the court is not desirous of sending people to jail, but it had to take a seasoned lawyer like Otoo to rescue the clients from the jaws of jail.
