656 prisoners granted amnesty

Accra, June 30, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor in consultation with the Prisons Service Council on Friday granted amnesty to 656 prisoners on humanitarian grounds to commemorate Ghana's 47th republican status on July 1.

The amnesty covers 634 first offenders who had served half or more of their sentences, ten who were seriously ill and incapacitated and who would not pose any threat to society, two nursing mothers and two others serving at the president's pleasure.

In a statement signed by Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister for the Interior, said seven prisoners on death row had had their sentences commuted to life sentences.

One prisoner on life sentence, who had served over ten years, had had his sentence commuted to a definite term of 20 years. The amnesty according to the statement was in accordance with article 72 of the 1992 Constitution.