President Lazarus Chakwera has pardoned 106 prisoners as part of Easter celebrations.
Secretary for Homeland Security Kennedy Nkhoma has announced this in a statement today, describing the pardon of the prisoners as an act of mercy in this festive season.
Nkhoma added that the prisoners to be released are those who were charged with minor offences and have demonstrated good behavioral reform.
Chakwera, a former church leader, has pardoned 1,705 prisoners since he became president in June, 2020.
During the Christmas period last year, Chakwera pardoned 105 prisoners.
In July last year, the Malawi leader also pardoned 156 prisoners during Malawi’s independence celebrations while during the 2021 Easter period he pardoned 52 prisoners.
During the Christmas and New Year festivities in 2020, Chakwera pardoned 787 prisoners from various facilities across the country.
In August, 2020, the Malawi leader pardoned 499 prisoners in a bid to reduce congestion in prisons amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
Chapter 89 (2) of the Constitution gives the president power to pardon convicted offenders, grant stays of execution of sentence, reduce sentences, or remit sentences.
It requires that this should be done in consultation with an Advisory Committee on the Granting of Pardon, the composition and formation of which is determined by an Act of Parliament.
