President Akufo-Addo grants amnesty to 794 prisoners

The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has granted amnesty to 794 prisoners in Ghana as part of the efforts to decongest the prisons in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

A statement signed by Patrick Darko Missah,Director General of Prisons ,on Thursday, July 2,2020 said "The President of the Republic, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in consultation with the council of state ,in commemoration of workers day 1st May, 2020 and in a bid to mitigate the dangers posed by congestion in the prisons,especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, has in accordance with Article 72(1) of the 1992 constitution, granted amnesty to seven hundred and ninety-four (794) deserving prisoners. 

First offenders, 772 ,Very old prisoners (70years and above) 16;seriously ill, 4 ,death sentence commuted to life imprisonment 2. 

" However,2 prisoners on death row will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment ".