Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare (Kwaku Azar), a US-based Ghanaian academic and legal scholar, has demanded clarity in the process used to select the 819 first offenders granted presidential pardon by President John Dramani Mahama.
According to Kwaku Azar, the President’s constitutional power to grant mercy is not in question, but he quizzed how these 819 beneficiaries were selected for outright release.
Prof Azar argued that the description “first offender” alone does not provide enough information about how the 819 beneficiaries were selected, adding that a person convicted for the first time could have received a relatively short sentence or a much longer sentence for a serious offence.
He further questioned whether beneficiaries were required to have served a minimum portion of their sentences before qualifying for outright release.
In a Facebook post on Monday, October 5, 2026, Kwaku Azar stated, “In commemoration of the country’s 70th Independence Anniversary on 6 March 2027, the President, in consultation with the Council of State, has granted 819 first offenders outright release.
The President’s constitutional power to grant mercy is not in question. The question is how these 819 beneficiaries were selected for outright release.
A first offender is simply a person convicted of an offence for the first time. That is a remarkably broad category.
A first offender sentenced to one year for possessing weed may qualify. So too may a first offender sentenced to 20 years for a serious offence.
So, “first offender” alone tells us very little about how the 819 beneficiaries were selected. What were the eligibility criteria?
Were particular offences excluded? Were violent offences excluded? Did the length of the sentence matter? Was there a minimum proportion of the sentence that had to have been served? Who recommended the prisoners, and what screening process was followed?
And importantly, who are the 819 beneficiaries?
We Ask. We Do Not Guess.
PS: Yɛde post no bɛto hɔ. Yɛnyɛ comprehension consultants.
Da Yie!”
His comment comes on the heels of President John Dramani Mahama granting a presidential pardon to 863 convicted prisoners.
The presidential pardon forms part of activities commemorating Ghana’s 70th Independence Anniversary.
A statement signed by Government spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, disclosed that the decision was taken in accordance with Article 72(1) of the 1992 Constitution and follows consultations with the Council of State.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu stated, “The pardon forms part of the commemoration of the significant national milestone and is intended to mark the occasion with an act of mercy and national reflection.”
The statement revealed that the largest group to benefit involves 819 first-time offenders, who have been granted outright release.
Also, thirteen convicted persons aged 70 years and above have been granted outright release, with six persons serving life sentences having their sentences commuted to 20 years.
Additionally, 11 persons on death sentence will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, with six seriously ill prisoners granted outright release, while two persons have also been released following special recommendations.
The statement also disclosed that three other cases were considered under petitions, with three additional persons falling under other categories.
The Presidential amnesty is a constitutional provision that allows the President to pardon prisoners or reduce their sentences on the recommendations from the Prisons Service Council and the Council of State.
The Presidential amnesty is used as a measure to decongest prisons, also to address humanitarian concerns, and ensure justice is tempered with mercy.
It is particularly for defenceless groups such as the elderly, the sick, and nursing mothers.
See the post below:
@ghnow_ Wildlife Division officers at the Sakumo Ramsar Site rescued a large sea turtle stranded in Community 5 after receiving a distress call from a concerned citizen. The turtle was safely released back into the sea. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – Sarkodie
@ghnow_ Ahhh!!! Did Andy Dosty really say that??? #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
