The High Commissioner-designate for South Africa, Benjamin Kofi Quashie, has defended President John Mahama’s decision to grant amnesty to 998 prison inmates.

He described the gesture as a constitutional requirement, not a political decision to free prisoners perceived to be aligned with the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, Mr Quashie not only questioned the logic of those putting a political spin on the President’s actions but also asserted that it was within the president’s legal authority to make such decisions.

He added that those calling on the government to make the list public were being disingenuous and biased.

“When President Akufo-Addo granted amnesty in this country, no NDC member ran the kinds of commentaries we see today. No one asked the president then to publicize the list. Why today?” he quizzed.

Outlining the process preceding the grant of presidential amnesty, he noted it begins with the Council of State, proceeds to the Prisons Service Council, and receives final authorization from the president.

“The president doesn’t grant amnesty on a whim but only after a thorough and elaborate process has been finalized,” stressed the High Commissioner-designate.

Furthermore, he reminded Ghanaians not to dwell so much on prisons being solely places of punishment but also to consider their reformative function.

He proposed that the president free inmates whose reintegration into society would pose no problems.

“Let us, as a nation, believe our prisons shouldn’t be just places of punishment but also places for reform. If the Prisons Council has determined that these inmates are reformed and need reintegration into society, let’s take the politics out of it. We politicize almost everything in this country,” he noted.

He concluded by opining that he sees nothing wrong with the constitutional provision, underscoring that the framers of the Constitution had a rationale for not publicizing the names of presidential amnesty beneficiaries.

“I’m sure the list of beneficiaries is with the Service, and anyone who wants to peruse it can request it from the Prisons Service,” he added.