MBABANE – The King’s Prerogative of Mercy Committee has concluded reviewing some convicts who will receive the royal pardon.
It was gathered that the pardon extended to convicts allows them to exit Correctional facilities subsequent to community assessments in preparation for the release from custody.
The Attorney General (AG), Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo, confirmed that the King’s Prerogative of Mercy Committee has been dealing with the matter.
However, Khumalo was quick to state that at the moment, he could not expand much on the matter as it was still being dealt with.
“Nothing is hidden in these matters, in due course, it shall be communicated to the public,” Khumalo said.
Meanwhile, sources informed this publication that the King’s Prerogative of Mercy Committee had been, for weeks, engaged in the exercise of identifying those who would be awarded the pardon.
They approximated that those who qualify will be over 200, as they included those who were incarcerated for petty crimes, those who had less than a year in their sentences and convicted inmates who received a special pardon.
It was gathered that on Tuesday, senior personnel in the HMCS along with in-charge officers of all the Correctional facilities met to discuss the logistics of the release of convicted inmates who qualify.
Another source expanded on that those with six months left in their sentences will be the first to be released.
The sources expanded by stating that those left with six months or less shall be released from prison as soon as practicably possible, followed by those who were accorded a special pardon.
They further said those who were serving six months or more, shall have their sentence reduced by six months only, while a mentally challenged inmate convicted or sentenced to King’s Pleasure and has fully recovered and issued with a certificate of fitness by a medical practitioner, save for an awaiting trial mentally challenged prisoner, will be released from prison as soon as practicably possible.
They also said an inmate, save for one on capital punishment, whose sentence was commuted to a custodial sentence and any prisoner who had received special pardon and order that such convict shall have such remaining sentence reduced by 12 months only.
*…
Public will be informed – HMCS
MBABANE – The public will be informed in due course, says His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS).
HMCS Acting Public Relations Officer (PRO) Assistant Chief Officer Baphelele Kunene said: “This process has been actively carried out over the past months and has now reached advanced stages.”
However, the acting PRO said it is important to note that at this point, it remains difficult for this office to determine who will ultimately be released and who will not, as the process has not yet been finalised.
He said the HMCS remained committed to keeping the public informed once all processes have been concluded. Meanwhile, it has been gathered from sources that any convict who escaped and or attempted to escape from lawful custody will not be eligible for the pardon and commutation.
Full article available in our publication.
Leave a comment