In response to public outcry on the inclusion of rapists and corrupt officials on President Barrow’s pardon list, government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh has spoken on West Coast Radio to provide clarification.

He stated that Bamba Banja, the former permanent secretary who was found guilty of a D100K corruption allegation, had already completed almost one year of his two-year sentence, paid a D1 million fine, and settled other related charges. “This is on top of his mitigation plea regarding his health condition, which qualified him for amnesty,” Sankareh stated.

Regarding the Senegalese tailor found guilty of murder, Sankareh stated that a few years into his sentence, the guy had a terminal illness for which he had to undergo numerous grueling surgeries. The prisoner was told by the doctors to go into a private institution since Mile 2 was no longer suitable for him, which would have come at a cost to the government. Given his medical state, religious leaders have also intervened on his behalf, according to the government spokesman. He claimed that even with the parole committee’s recommendation, President Barrow had insisted on meeting the victim’s family and receiving assurances that there would be no security implications before granting him amnesty. He said that the other exonerated inmates had undergone a comparable level of due diligence.