Deputy AG nominee kicks against abolishing death penalty

One of the deputy Attorney General nominees, Mr. Alfred Tuah-Yeboah has advocated for the continued existence of the death penalty, despite calls from sections of the public for its abolishment.

According to Mr. Tuah-Yeboah, it is premature to call for an abolishment of the penalty, given the nature social vices such as armed robbery and murder take in the country.

In his appearance before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, the nominee noted that capital punishments should be given to those who deserved them.

“If murderers have to be killed, they should be killed,” he told the Committee.

In recent times, the Attorney General and the government have been under pressure from groups such as Amnesty International Ghana, who are calling for a repeal of the death penalty, especially when the country has not executed anyone on the death sentence since 1993.

Some twenty sub-Saharan countries are on record to have abolished the death penalty for all crimes. Of these, there are seven in West Africa.

The deputy Attorney-General designate however described the “callousness” of some murder and robbery cases, noting that the state should relent from expediting actions that will ensure an abolishment of the penalty.

“I’m a realist and positivist. If we look at some of the murder cases that we’ve seen, especially when it comes to robbery with murder and the callous nature that some of them carry out those actions, I think we need to hold on [with the abolishment of such a law] for some time. [We shouldn’t abolish it] at this stage. I equally also hold this view that as it exists in the USA, if stakeholders may want to venture into grading murders, I subscribe to the full execution of their sentences.”

About nine inmates on death row have had their sentences reduced to life imprisonment between March and June 2020. This is from a total of 172 persons who were on the death sentence as of December 31, 2018