A total of 98 prisoners who where serving various sentences at the State Central Prisons of Mile II have been released today, Thursday, March 2nd, 2017.
This batch of prisoners released including one female prisoner are among the hundreds pardoned by President Adama Barrow.
Among the freed includes 16 foreigners –Senegalese, Malians, Guineans and Sierra Leonean nationals, who were handed over to officers of the Gambia Immigration Department who escorted out to be deported.
Earlier on February 18th on the Independence day of The Gambia, a total of 174 were released on Presidential pardon.
Ansumana Manneh, the Director General of the Gambia Prisons Service thanked President Barrow and his government for the magnanimity. He said the releasing is a process and a Committee chaired by the Ministry of Interior is responsible for the vetting.
“So, any time they need information, we will send it to them. If the President approves it, even at mid-night, we will come and release the prisoners. We hope that more and more will be released” he said.
According to him, those released where convicted of various offences raging from murder to drug trafficking among others.
“There is one among those release who was convicted of murder. There is also a woman among them who is release after serving 5 years on monetary problems. Others released includes convict of drug trafficking who have serve half of their sentences. Even the thieves have been released. We think they have been rehabilitated” he said.
DG Manneh advised the released prisoners to be law abiding and avoid returning to the prisons especially when they know fully how difficult the conditions are.
“Since you know the prison conditions, I urge you all to comfort yourselves better to avoid involving in anything that will bring you back to the prison” he concluded.
Lamin Sowe, Operations Commander, Gambia Prison Service equally thanked the government for the gesture. He equally called for creation of skills training means for inmate so as to help them acquire knowledge before they are released.
