Libya Pardons Ghanaian Convict

Authorities in Libya have granted pardon to Ghanaian convict Kwabena Kankam who was due for execution on Friday. The pardon followed an amnesty by the family of Isaac Oppong, another Ghanaian said to have been murdered by Kankam and four others who have since been executed.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry in Accra despatched finalized documents needed to secure pardon for Kwabena Kankam on Thursday after meeting with the two families on Wednesday. The Sharia law under which Kankam was tried allows for the pardoning of a convict if the family of his victim agrees to grant clemency.

The two families are however yet to agree on conditions for the amnesty, said to have been slated for a later date. It is also not clear if Kankam would be held in Libyan jails or be repatriated to Ghana to serve time in jail or be freed altogether.