The President’s office has brought amendments to the Clemency Act on relaxing conditions for pardons and reducing prison sentences of some convicts.

The amendments were published in the government gazette and states that presidential pardons will be granted to prisoners who have not been convicted within a year since charges were raised against them.

This is the third time amendments have been brought to the Clemency Act. Whereas it used to state that only convicts serving more than 10 years in prison for major crimes, and who have served half of their sentence, stand eligible for clemency. The amendments in Julyremoved drug cases from the clause, allowing presidential pardons for drug convicts.

The President’s office previously revealed that they will carry out the sentence reduction under the adequate procedure, after the committee assembled to deal with the matter conducts interviews with the guardians of the convicts and sees them fit for being pardoned under the conditions. However, the office had not revealed what the conditions were.

However, the President also decreed that if a convicted prisoner whose sentence has been pardoned, goes against said conditions, he will be returned back to prison and has to complete the rest of his sentence as he would have prior to being pardoned.

President’s office added that although prison sentences for convicts sentenced for criminal offenses are to be acquitted, those who are convicted of embezzlement or debt settlement cases will not be pardoned.