Two Ghanaian executed in Libya

Two Ghanaian men have been executed in Libya in the early hours of today.

The two, Kojo Blankson and Samuel Ayi Ayitevi were executed by firing squad in the earlier hours of Saturday February 16, 2008 in Benghazi, Libya, despite the Ghana government’s intervention for clemency.

A news bulletin monitored on Citi FM on Saturday say the two who were convicted in 1998 for the murder of a Libyan businessman were executed with four other nationals including a Nigerian.

The facts of the execution were narrated to Citi FM on phone by a Ghanaian woman resident in Libya. The woman who spoke in twi was not identified.

The woman told Citi FM that there is third Ghanaian waiting on death row in a Libyan prison. According to the woman, the man is due for execution in two weeks time.

In a telephone interview with Citi FM from his prison cell in Libya, the man, Kwabena Kankam, 45 years said he has been convicted under Sharia Law for killing a fellow Ghanaian whose name he gave as Isaac, a native of Esereso, Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region for attempting to stab him during a fight in self defence.

Kankam who also goes by the name Mohamood Mustapha Abubakar said he was tried and found guilty of manslaughter under Sharia Law by a Libyan court.

During the conversation he pleaded with the family of the deceased to write to the Libyan government to plead on his behalf for clemency. This kind of appeal is admissible in Sharia Law.

According to Kankam, if the Libyan authorities receive such a document from the family of the dead man, they would grant him mercy and release him.