APM pardons 197 prisoners
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has pardoned 197 prisoners from the country’s heavily congested prisons as part of Christmas and New Year celebrations.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security said the pardon of the prisoners is a symbol of forgiveness as the President joins Malawians in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
The ministry said the 197 liberated prisoners are those who served at least half of their sentences, demonstrated good behaviour and were not convicted of serious offences such as rape or any sexual offences on young girls, carjacking, armed robbery and murder.
The President, using his powers as stipulated in Section 89(2) of the Constitution, often pardons inmates during major celebrations such as Independence Day (July 6), Easter and Christmas.
In 2012, former president Joyce Banda made headlines after she pardoned her relation, Agala Festone Kuiwenga, who was serving a nine-year-jail term for rape at Zomba Central Prison.
But in an interview yesterday, Malawi Prison Services spokesperson Evans Phiri assured Malawians that those pardoned deserved the consideration.
There are about 13 000 prisoners—which is more than double the capacity—in the country’s 31 prisons, described by some rights activists as hell.
