President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (R) and William Ato Essien
Former Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, has clarified the controversy surrounding the granting of a presidential pardon by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the final days of his administration.
According to him, although the process for pardoning the 12 individuals was initiated, no pardon was granted as widely reported following the leak of a document issued by the Office of the President to the Council of State.
In an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme, Tuah-Yeboah explained that the document in question was intended for the Council of State’s advice regarding the individuals the president wished to pardon.
He noted that members of the Council of State objected to granting pardons to all the individuals listed in the document.
“These individuals submitted petitions. Those petitions were vetted, and then, because the president couldn’t sit at the Jubilee House on his own to pardon people, he submitted a letter to the Council of State. The Council of State, on January 2, actually met the president as part of the consultation process. At the end of the consultation, it was decided that these individuals should not be pardoned.
“When news started circulating that the president had pardoned these individuals, the presidency issued a statement to clarify that no such decision had been taken by the president.
“The president consulted the Council of State, and at the end of the day, a decision was made not to pardon these individuals. Unfortunately, the letter forwarded to the Council of State was leaked. Instead of most people, including some media personnel, taking the time to review the letter, they concluded that the president had pardoned these individuals. However, that letter was clearly a request from the president to the Council of State as part of the consultation process. As of now, those individuals remain in prison,” he clarified.
The letter from the Office of the President indicated that President Akufo-Addo, in line with Article 72(1) of the 1992 Constitution, wished to exercise his prerogative of mercy for the 11 convicted individuals. Akufo-Addo, according to the letter, asked the Council to expeditiously consider the individuals listed to enable him to act accordingly.
Below are the individuals on the list:
1. Akwasi Alhassan
Convicted of murder and sentenced to death on March 19, 1993. He has spent 31 years in prison, with his sentence commuted to life imprisonment by presidential order.
2. Beatrice Ofori
Convicted of human trafficking on June 6, 2023, and sentenced to eight years with hard labour. The 64-year-old suffers from severe hypertension, leading to significant mobility challenges, and has spent much of her sentence in the prison infirmary.
3. Frank Obeng
Sentenced to 40 years for manslaughter, Obeng is serving his term in Nsawam Prison. His sentence has been reduced to 12 years following the presidential pardon.
4. Stephen Nyarko
Convicted of conspiracy to rob and robbery in December 2010, he was sentenced to 30 years. Having served 22 years, including time on remand, his pardon recognises
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