Popular Ghanaian lawyer Maurice Ampaw is not happy about a NEWS-ONE publication that quoted him to have said some Ghanaian pastors and judges are secret users of marijuana though they know the substance is a criminal and non-bailable offence under Ghana’s laws.
Mr Ampaw, on Tuesday, sent a rejoinder to the paper complaining he had been reported out of context and therefore deserves an opportunity to clear the air.
NEWS-ONE wrote the story from an interview Maurice Ampaw granted to Kwame Nkrumah Tikese on Okay 101.7 Fm last Tuesday morning.
A transcript of the said radio interview captured the lawyer to have said: “When a pastor smokes weed before preaching to his congregation that is between the pastor and God, if the weed is his source of inspiration. Some do it in secret. There are some pastors who smoke before preaching; they go into their bed rooms to hide and inhale one or two puffs of weed. So when he (the pastor) stands before his congregation to preach, he does not get tired. Some of them do it but they do not do it openly…
“Lawyers are not God. If even pastors are smoking weed, how much more lawyers and judges. Some smoke in secret. What I am saying is a secret thing and not done publicly. They hide to smoke it and then put on lavender or put something in their mouth to hide the scent. When you meet them, they look very gentle but you never know they have smoked weed,” he had added.
Meanwhile, Maurice Ampaw’s rejoinder read:
“I Lawyer Maurice K. Ampaw write to bring to your notice a publication in your newspaper dated November 26, 2014 where it is captured that Pastors and Judges Smoke Ganja.
“The publication seems to capture the fact that I accused members of the bench of smoking marijuana. I want to put on record that I did not make any allegations targeting members of the bench. What I said was taken out of context. I want to use this rejoinder to sincerely apologise to members of the bench for any embarrassment caused by the publication. I ask that this rejoinder be published as soon as possible to correct the negative impression created by the publication. Long Live the Judiciary, Long Live members of the Bench and Long Live Rule of Law.
