Dr Palgrave Boakye Danquah, a spokesperson for businessman and former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, commonly known as Chairman Wontumi, has broken his silence on President John Dramani Mahama granting some 863 convicted persons granted a presidential pardon.
According to Wontumi’s team, they are yet to receive official confirmation on whether Wontumi is among the 863 convicted persons granted a presidential pardon.
Speaking on President Mahama’s presidential pardon, Dr Boakye Danquah said the team had not received any formal communication confirming that Wontumi is among those covered by the President’s decision.
He stressed that they would refrain from concluding until the relevant authorities officially communicate the names and categories of persons covered by the pardon.
Dr Boakye Danquah stated, “We don’t have the fine details yet, and so if we are yet to be communicated to, we will let the public know. Our prayer and consideration will be that if we would have our name anywhere at all, it would be within the Special Recommendation or Petition category.”
He, however, disclosed that their immediate priority is to secure bail for Wontumi on October 15, pending the determination of his appeal.
“We are just praying that the appeal goes through and also we are praying that the bail pending the appeal goes through”, he stated.
His comment follows President Mahama’s announcement of the pardon as part of Ghana’s 70th Independence celebration covering 863 convicted persons across the country.
The announcement has since sparked interest in the status of several high-profile individuals who may have been considered for clemency, including Chairman Wontumi.
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.
Meanwhile, 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.
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