By Tracey Khan-Drakes
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Sixty convicts will be granted presidential pardon on Guyana’s 49th Independence anniversary by President David Granger on Tuesday, May 26.
The President told some members of the media during an interview at the Office of the President on Monday, May 25 that he intends to pardon convicts who are serving short sentences for minor or non-violent related offences annually during his time in office.
“I have specified that persons who have convicted for crimes of violence will not be eligible for consideration, the President said.
He explained that those who have been granted presidential pardons are between the ages of 18-24 and includes both male and female. Initially he had intended to grant pardons only to females, but there are not enough to meet his criteria.
“I believe that young people should be in school not in jail and I have asked that emphasis be placed on young persons and for petty nonviolent offences and sentences of short duration. Some men are in jail for stealing cellphones, go your way and sin no more…Most of them are young, most of them are minor misdemeanors or offences, which are non-violent and I do hope that we will be able to integrate them by ensuring that they get on training programmes and they can start living the good lives, the longer they stay in prison the more difficult it would be to rehabilitate them.”
The President also has high expectations of those persons and wants to see them undergo training so that they can be rehabilitated back into society.
“I hope they get back in school, get to work and get on with their lives, they don’t belong in jail, and they belong in school, at home with their families and just be happy.”
When the President was asked to comment on the last deed that was undertaken by former President Donald Ramotar to grant a presidential pardon to a child killer while he was in office, he noted that, “there is nothing in the constitution that prevents him but there should be something in his conscious which should have told him that this is not the way to go.”
The child killer is Ravindra Deo who was serving a life imprisonment sentence for killing 8 – year-old Vishnu Bhim of Annandale East Coast Demerara in 1994. Prior to this sentence he was given the death penalty, which was later commuted to a life sentence.
Bhim was the only child of his parents, who have since migrated to the United States. The parents, Heeralall and Chaimwatie Bhim are reportedly in a state of shock and disbelief over Ramotar’s decision.
Ref my response to someone’s concern about president Granger’s pardon of 60 young inmates recently.
Seeing that you are concerned about Guyana’s youth, and president Granger’s plan or no plan for them
Why not ask the president about this?
You seem to be an ardent believer of the 60 prisoners’ release. I don’t know if it is good or bad, but wondered about Mr. Granger’s plan after release. As a matter of fact, what are his plans before the release?. Further, since he is interested in Guyana’s youth, I am proned to ask what are his short term and long term plans for these youths in Guyana. Just thinking.
Preemptive racism.. Thats new…
Ramotar released on convicted murderer. Granger released sixty minor offenders. If that doesn’t make sense to you let me make it slightly clearer. I’ll give you 1 us dollar for your 60 Guyana dollars… Deal?
Your english is the joke.
we need people like jagdeo, with big brain
granger, what a joke
ramotor take out one he taking out 60
This is an insult to our Judiciary!
Granger action is an insult to our hard working Police who has successfully prosecuted those law breakers.
One or two may be acceptable, but why sixty?
Magistrates will definitely be demotivated by this Dictator.
Nobbody is talking about the child killer that got pardon by Romator>>>he has to caught and put away for life>>>how about that Mr President?
Thank God Georgetown is getting cleaned up.
Ref President David Granger Pardons 60 Young Criminals!
Petty theft is universal, and mostly stem from greed, envy, and poverty. We live in a secular world, where secular values permeate. So the poor are at a disadvantage when they cannot even afford the basic essentials to life and living well.
However, stealing is not the way to get what you want. Hard word via employment, savings, and a contented heart is necessary too.
Those pardon if committed another crime should get harsh. Penalty especially those cell phone thieves around town
Whey de Champion of Hindus? Whey she deh?
BJ really upset she!
Mr Granger iz doing the right thing, yes?
Let’s see how well mixed the race is for those 60 that’s on the list.
yes this is the way to go everyone deserves another chance in life n if they mess up again well they r on their own n have themselves to blame, especially with these petty crimes but to pardon a child killer that is sad , he should not have come out into society to kill again this is a serious n dangerous offence n jail is where he belong however ramotar free him but ramotar will have to live with that for the rest of his life he must remember that he has a son also what goes around comes around. ramotar doesn’t know better poor kid,as for sooba she needs to go she is a square egg in a round hole an unqualified captain cant steer a ship it will sink the city stinks when she is in charge so she should go eh eh no good for tourism.she should look around n see in one week cleaning the difference around the city as against 23 years with the ppp n nothing was done to clean the city, having sooba there is a waste of time that $400,000 chair she bought to sit her butt it could have been used to repair markets n clean up the city but no she misused the people money like if its hers now she like a silent mouse now waiting for favourso no u must go sooba ur unfit u cant do as u like anymore too bad for u.you had it going on at city hall now u table tun up . remember this sooba god raise up n pull down so u get pull down right .
I do hope Jagdeo and a few others are in that fresh batch LOL!. I have been saying for a while now we have too many people in jail that needs to be set free and do community service etc. on a road to rehabilitation of which I am sure that they will be better placed to benefit both themselves and country. Long live the peoples republic of Guyana.
I do hope that’s the case and those released would be assigned to community service and monitoring. Service to the community would be necessary for their understanding of respecting others and property.
I ‘ve enjoyed reading your story Tracey please keep up the good work.
In my opinion President Granger is doing the right thing. Someone who stole a cell phone should not be sentence to jail.
Can’t agree with this approach…. there needs to be some rehabilitation. Many of those convicted for minor offences are not first timers, they were just lucky not to get caught.
excellent move, mr granger, lovely, i love this,keep up the good job, i stand for you. and people, long live guyana
Granger making some space at the jail for the fresh batch of inmates to come..LOL