PRESIDENT David Granger has granted presidential pardons to nine female prisoners whom he considers fit and proper to receive such pardons, according to the Ministry of Public Security.These presidential pardons will take effect from February 23, 2017, in observance of the 47th Anniversary of the Republic, the ministry stated. The nine prisoners from the New Amsterdam Prison were identified as 30-year-old Kamla Bisram; 31-year-old Malinda Beaton; Charissazan Charles, 18; Sasha Christopher, 18; Jenny Davis, 26; Vanessa Frank, 26; 51-year-old Barbara Hunte; Kamwattie Persaud, 23; and 47-year-old Dhanmattie Seenarine.

According to the ministry, these prisoners have served most of their respective sentences for offences ranging from larceny, assault and unlawful possession of ammunition.

“It is expected that this expression of compassion and humanity by His Excellency will result in families being re-united, and the pardoned offenders leading good and useful lives [from] here on,” the ministry noted.

In May, 2015, President Granger pardoned 60 convicts, between the ages of 18 to 25. In December, 2015, he pardoned 11 females who spent Christmas with their families. Those pardoned were women incarcerated for non-violent offences; offences which do not involve trafficking in persons and trafficking in narcotics.

However, in 2016, President Granger had said that no one was pardoned to coincide with Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary, because they did not meet the benchmark and he will not free convicted drug-traffickers and murderers.

“I didn’t pardon anyone at Independence because many of the persons who would normally be eligible for pardon were in fact convicted for trafficking in cocaine, not possession of a few grammes of marijuana and I am not going to tolerate trafficking, I am not going to tolerate murder. I am not going to pardon anybody who has got blood on their hands,” he had stated on his weekly interview programme, ‘The Public Interest.’

With almost 100 persons having received presidential pardons since President Granger came to office in May, 2015, the Guyanese leader had come in for sharp criticism in the past because he had pardoned persons who eventually returned before the courts on similar charges.

The President said he would continue to pardon convicts who meet the criteria. “I don’t pardon people for the sake of pardoning people. I pardon people to give them a second chance in life.”

The birth of the Republic is celebrated with Mashramani, which is being observed this year under the theme: “Celebration with Liberty, Dignity and Greater Unity.”