Government through the Ministry of Homeland Security has pardoned 200 prisoners in the country’s prisons.

Minister of Homeland security Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma has confirmed the development and said that this has been done as part of the year’s Easter holiday celebrations.

According to Ng’oma, President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has pardoned some of the prisoners who committed minor offenses and demonstrated good behavioral reform.

“It has pleased the state president Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera to pardon a total of 200 prisoners as part of Easter celebrations, the Constitution gives the mandate to the state president to pardon prisoners who have behaved well during the time of their stay in the prison,” Said Ng’oma.

He added that among those pardoned is the former Homeland Security minister Uladi Mussa, who was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for being found guilty to a corruption case where he offered citizenship illegally.

He further said that the pardon list has also included Jones Tewesa a driver to former commissioner of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Linda Kunje who was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for obstructing the presidential convoy and a minor Mussa John who was sentenced to 8 years improvement for being found in possession of chamba.

According constitution of Malawi Chapter 89 (2), the president has power to pardon convicted offenders, grant stays of execution of sentence, reduce sentences, or remit sentences.”

Meanwhile, Chakwera has so far pardoned over 1900 prisoners since he became president of the country.