The Presidency has issued a firm denial in response to circulating reports suggesting that President Nana Akufo-Addo granted pardons to 11 individuals, including prominent convicted figures.
In a statement released on January 6, 2025, Eugene Arhin, the Director of Communications at the Presidency, clarified that the claims were unfounded and inaccurate.
These reports had alleged that individuals such as William Ato Essien, the former CEO of Capital Bank convicted for his involvement in the bank’s collapse, and others, including Philip Akpeena Assibit, convicted in 2018 for causing financial loss to the state, had been pardoned by the President. Additionally, it was suggested that Akwasi Alhassan, serving a life sentence for murder since 1993, was among those granted clemency.
The Presidency’s statement emphasized that President Akufo-Addo had not issued any pardons, reaffirming that no one, including those named in the reports, had been granted clemency.
The statement called on the public to disregard these claims and to rely on official communications from the President’s office for accurate and verified information.
