Akufo-Addo pardons defunct Capital Bank’s Ato Essien and 10 others

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The outgoing president, Nana Akufo-Addo, has granted a presidential pardon to William Ato Essien and 10 other convicted individuals.

Mr Ato Essien, the founder of the defunct Capital Bank, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by an Accra High Court in October 2023.

He was convicted of embezzling over GH¢90 million of the Bank of Ghana’s liquidity support allocated to the now-defunct financial institution.

This decision follows his failure to fully repay the stated amount to the State, despite having agreed to do so and being afforded the opportunity.

Under the prerogative of mercy, Mr Essien, who had served one year of his 15-year sentence, is said to be suffering from "severe life-threatening medical conditions" and has undergone multiple surgeries as a result.

In addition to Mr Essien, eight other convicted individuals have been released by the president, including Philip Assibit, a convict in the GYEEDA scandal who was jailed for 12 years.

The list of the pardoned convicts is provided below:

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Akufo-Addo

perogative mercy

William Ato Essien