The Presidency on Monday evening announced that President John Dramani Mahama has granted amnesty to 998 prisoners across Ghana’s correctional facilities.
On the list of persons granted amnesty in the Monday [August 18, 2025] announcement are two inmates who had specifically petitioned the Presidency for clemency and pleaded for consideration. They were not named in the press statement.
Also on the list are 33 seriously ill prisoners, 36 inmates aged over 70 years, 87 on death row, and two nursing mothers, all of whom are among the 998 granted presidential amnesty.
The statement from the Presidency, signed and issued by the Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, did not name any of the beneficiaries.
One person who had recently petitioned the President for amnesty is William Ato Essien, the former Chief Executive Officer of the now-defunct Capital Bank. He was convicted in April 2023 for misapplying liquidity support from the Bank of Ghana and sentenced on October 12, 2023, to 15 years in prison. However, he is currently on bail on medical grounds following an appeal he has filed.
Ato Essien’s petition for pardon had received growing support, with many pleading that President Mahama should pardon him following reports that he was unwell and had recently been admitted to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra for treatment.
Supporters of his pardon argued that cases against others implicated in the collapse of various banks had been discontinued by the current government. Consequently, they contended that it was unfair for only William Ato Essien to remain in jail. They further noted that he was unwell and using a wheelchair in prison.
Ato Essien not part of list
The list of beneficiaries, a trusted source told Graphic Online, does not include Patricia Asiedu Asiamah, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, nor William Ato Essien, or other prominent figures serving time in prison.
While Essien is already on medical bail pending the outcome of his appeal, Agradaa is yet to serve even six months of her 15-year jail term, ruling her out of the opportunity.
The statement from the Presidency further announced that 33 seriously ill prisoners and 36 inmates aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their offences, were included in the amnesty.
A total of 787 first-time offenders are also part of the release.
Furthermore, 87 prisoners currently under sentence of death will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, while 51 inmates serving life sentences will have their terms reduced to a definite 20-year sentence.
According to the statement, humanitarian considerations formed a significant part of the decision.
The President approved 998 out of the 1,014 inmates recommended for amnesty by the Prisons Service Council.
The move underscores the application of constitutional mercy provisions aimed at addressing prison congestion and specific humanitarian cases.
Graphic