President John Dramani Mahama is being petitioned to exercise his constitutional power to grant convicted founder of defunct Capital Bank, William Ato Essien pardon.
William is currently serving a fifteen-year jail term for stealing over ninety million Ghana cedis from the defunct Capital Bank. He avoided custodial sentence after agreeing on a restitution payment arrangement between him and the then Attorney General, Godfred Dame.
Essien was able to pay a total of only 37 million cedis out of the 90 million agreed figure before the due dates, April 28 and August 31 2023 for payment expired, following which he was convicted in December 2022.
But a group petitioning the president argues that the nature in which justice was carried out in the matter was unfair. According to them, Essien, was coerced into a plea bargain in order to avoid prolonging the trial. The petition document adds that the 90 million cedis amount he was requested to pay as restitution is significantly higher than the alleged loss for which he has been convicted.
According to the petition signed by one lawyer, Andrew Appiah-Danquah, Ato Essien’s incarceration is an injustice and a threat to Ghanaian entrepreneurs who seek to establish businesses in the country.
“The continued incarceration of Mr. Essien, despite the court’s findings that the transactions at the heart of his case were lawful, undermines these fundamental values.In the spirit of freedom and justice, the state was duty-bound to re-evaluate his conviction and acquit him.”
“The Coercion of Mr. Essien into an Unfair Plea Bargain.To avoid a prolonged trial, Mr. Essien was pressured into a plea bargain, agreeing to pay GHC90 million—an amount significantly higher than the alleged loss.”
“Granting a Presidential Pardon to Ato Essien will not only restore justice but will also affirm your commitment to a truly new Ghana—one where freedom and justice are not just words, but lived realities,” the petition added.
Towards the end of the erstwhile NPP administration, there were reports that Essien was pardoned. However, the presidency denied them.
The petitioners say President Mahama’s quest to “reset” the economy would not be complete without undoing the injustice carried out under the previous administration.
Source: Dehotpress
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