By Seedy Jobe
President Adama Barrow’s decision to grant clemency to 56 inmates at Mile 2 Central Prison has prompted calls for greater transparency after it emerged that all of the beneficiaries were men.
The Gambia Prison Service announced on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, that the president had exercised his constitutional prerogative of mercy under Section 82 of the 1997 Constitution to pardon the inmates. No details were provided about the identities of those released or the offenses for which they had been convicted.
The announcement drew a swift response from MC Cham Jr., a business councilor at the Kanifing Municipal Council and a member of the Unite Movement for Change, who questioned both the lack of information surrounding the decision and the absence of female inmates among the recipients.
In a statement, Mr. Cham said that presidential pardons are matters of public importance that require openness.
“The recent announcement of presidential pardons granted to fifty-six male inmates at Mile 2 Central Prison is a matter of public importance, and it naturally raises questions that deserve clear and open answers,” Cham said.
Mr. Cham argued that such information is essential to maintaining confidence in the justice system, noting that the public should be able to distinguish whether the pardons involved minor, nonviolent offenses or more serious crimes.
“It is both reasonable and necessary for citizens to be informed of who these fifty-six individuals are and the offences for which they were serving their sentences.”
He also raised concerns about gender representation in the clemency exercise. “It is equally important to understand why no female inmates were included in the exercise of clemency,” Mr. Cham said. “If there were eligible women who met the established criteria yet were not considered, the reasons for that decision should be clearly explained. If, on the other hand, no female inmates qualified under the relevant guidelines, that information should also be shared openly so that unnecessary doubt and speculation are avoided.”
Without such clarity, he warned, the process risks fueling speculation and undermining public trust.
Mr. Cham called on the authorities to provide a fuller account of how the pardons were determined, saying that transparency in such matters is fundamental to democratic governance.
“Open communication in matters of this kind is not simply good practice,” he said. “It is a democratic responsibility. When decisions are explained with clarity and fairness, trust is preserved, accountability is reinforced, and the enduring principle that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done is upheld.”
Government officials have not yet responded publicly to the concerns raised by Chaam and others regarding this issue.
Comments are closed.