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He said the power for any president to grant amnesty to prisoners is enshrined in the constitution.
"Every president has the right to give Presidential pardon; therefore if he [Mahama] believes they have arrested and imprisoned some people who engaged in galamsey he can do that. He has done no wrong when he says he is going to release them (imprisoned small-scale miners) from prison," he said on Kumasi-based Nhyira FM.
Speaking at Odum Banso in the Mpohor Constituency in the Western Region on Thursday, October 22, 2020, Mahama expressed concerns about why a Chinese national was freed while Ghanaians are imprisoned for the same mining offense.
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Obiri Boahen
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Mahama has thus promised to grant amnesty to Ghanaians currently behind bars for mining offenses.
However, Nana Obiri Boahen said Mahama's promise to free illegal miners who were jailed is constitutional and sees nothing wrong with it.
He said it is only unenlightened persons like the NPP Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe Abronye DC who would wail over it.
"It is only unenlightened people like Abronye of the NPP will have problem with the Former President's decision because it is enshrined in the 1992 Constitution for the president give amnesty to prisoners.
"Mahama has done no wrong when he says he is going to release them from prison but when they come and do it illegally, then he would be wrong," he added.