Deputy AG clarifies misunderstanding over presidential pardon

Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, has cleared up confusion surrounding the presidential pardon granted by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on January 6.

The public had been led to believe that the pardon, which saw eleven prisoners granted mercy just a day before the end of Akufo-Addo’s tenure, was the result of a presidential decision. However, Tuah-Yeboah has clarified that the decision was part of a broader consultation with the Council of State.

“The President consulted the Council of State, and at the end of the day, a decision was taken that these people should not be pardoned,” Tuah-Yeboah explained during an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday.

“The letter that was forwarded to the Council of State was leaked, and instead of most people, including some media personnel, taking time to look at that letter, they decided to conclude that the President had pardoned some people.”

According to the Deputy Attorney-General, the letter in question was part of a consultation process and should not have been misinterpreted as a final pardon decision.

The confusion arose when the letter was leaked, leading some to wrongly conclude that the former President had already pardoned the individuals in question.

The matter had stirred some public debate, especially as former President Akufo-Addo had, on January 6, exercised his prerogative of mercy to pardon eleven prisoners just before leaving office. This decision was carried out following Article 72 (1) of the Constitution.

The review of these cases considered several factors, including the health conditions of the prisoners and the length of their sentences, with a final list of those pardoned released publicly.

The post Deputy AG clarifies misunderstanding over presidential pardon appeared first on MyNewsGh.