President Mahama frees 896 prisoners

President John Dramani Mahama has granted amnesty to 896 prisoners.

A statement from the Presidency said “President John Dramani Mahama has, in commemoration of the 56th Republican Anniversary of the Republic of Ghana, granted amnesty to a total of eight hundred and ninety-six (896) prisoners.” The freed prisoners are in the following categories:

First Offenders – 813

Seriously ill – 16

Aged 70 years and above – 63

Special Case (Double Amputee) – 1

Death row commuted to Life Imprisonment – 3

900 prisoners freed in 2015

President Mahama in 2015 freed 900 prisoners.

Chairman of the Prisons Council, Pastor Stephen Wengam had said the move brings a sigh of relief to the prison service, in their quest to decongest the prisons adding that “900 is a big number and it will go a long way in helping us to categorize and classify the rest of the prisoners per the UN standard.”