An appeal has gone to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to exercise his prerogative of mercies and grant amnesty to some prisoners.
The appeal comes after it has been realised that since assuming office, President Akufo-Addo is yet to grant amnesty to prisoners considered for pardon.
Checks reveal that a list of prisoners due for pardon has been presented to the President but he is yet to act on it.
This came up at a news conference organised by Crime Check Foundation, an NGO, which seeks to highlight some observations within the country’s prison system and bring to governments attention, abuse of rights of accused persons and prisoners and recommend ways of addressing certain shortfalls in the Prison System.
Executive Director of the Foundation who is also the Ambassador Extraordinaire of Prisons, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng stated that though the decision to grant amnesty solely lies in the hands of the President, he believes the current congestion at the prisons calls for Amnesty.
The granting of Amnesty to prisoners is normally a yearly ritual done by a sitting president among others to decongest prisons. The president exercises his mercy prerogative under Article 72 of the 1992 Constitution in consultation with the Council of State.
