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Four Ghanaian nationals executed in Libya
Accra, Feb 19, GNA - Government of Ghana
on Tuesday reacted publicly to the execution of Ghanaians in
Libya in recent times and reiterated its commitment to
protect the interests of its citizens abroad, including
those living in Libya.
The Government however, reminded nationals abroad to respect
the laws of their host countries and conduct themselves
properly and in ways that would make them worthy ambassadors
of Ghana.
Mr. Akwasi Osei-Adjei, Minister of Foreign Affairs on
Tuesday read to a sombre looking Parliament, a statement on
a series of events that led to the executions.
Uncharacteristic of the House, no member, either from the
Majority or the Minority made a contribution to the
statement after the Minister finished reading it.
Four Ghanaian nationals are reportedly executed since the
past few weeks, and according to the Minister, all efforts
to secure a reprieve for the Ghanaian nationals proved
unsuccessful.
The Minister stated that Government of Ghana did not seek to
undermine the laws of Libya, but added that, it would have
wished the authorities in Libya would have prevailed more
strongly on the families of the victims to reconsider their
position on the executions, at least on humanitarian
grounds.
According to Libyan law, execution or pardon of an accused
rested on the wish of the relatives of the victim of the
crime.
The Foreign Affairs Minister said the Embassy of Ghana has
since learnt that one more national remained on the death
row in Libya for the murder of another citizen of Ghana and
the Ministry is exploring the options available in that
case.
The chronology of the executions, as the Minister told the
House is as follows:
"Mr Speaker, is it with deep sense of regret that I inform
the House of the execution by the Libyan authorities on
Saturday, 16th February, 2008 of two Ghanaian nationals who
had been convicted and sentenced to death in 1998 and 2002
for separate murder of a Libyan national and a national of
Senegal, respectively.
"Earlier on 22nd January 2008, two other nationals of Ghana
were executed for their involvement in the murder of the
Libyan national in question.
“Three of these nationals together with a Nigerian national
were tried in a Libyan Criminal Court and a guilty verdict
was issued on 17th May 1998. All four were sentenced to
death. It was alleged that the four persons tied up the
Libyan national in his workshop and bludgeoned him to death
because of a dispute over a transaction in drugs.
"The verdict was appealed in July 1998 but was dismissed.
"The Embassy of Ghana in Libya took a keen interest in the
case and arranged for the defence of the accused persons
during the trial and subsequent appeal.
"Subsequently the Embassy had contact with the family of the
deceased to explore, in accordance with Islamic practice,
the possibility of seeking clemency or the payment of
compensation to cancel the death sentences. The family
however, rejected any negotiations and insisted that the law
should take its course.
"In December 2007, the Embassy was informed that the three
nationals of Ghana and the national of Nigeria were to be
executed. The Embassy alerted Government to this development
and recommended that an intervention be made at the highest
level.
"The President, H. E. Mr John Agyekum Kufuor immediately
addressed an appeal for clemency on humanitarian grounds to
his Libyan counterpart. The Libyan authorities took no
further action on the matter and the four persons remained
incarcerated in Libya for the next five years.
"In May, 2007, the Libyan authorities notified the Ghana
Embassy that the three nationals of Ghana were scheduled to
be executed within days. The Nigeria Embassy was similarly
notified about its national. The Ghana Embassy reported this
development to the Government and recommended, once again,
intervention at the highest level.
"Consequently a second stay of executions was secured for
the nationals of Ghana. The national of Nigeria was however
executed.
"The Embassy resumed its contacts with the family of the
Libyan victim in an effort to get it to reconsider its
stance on the executions. Officials of the Embassy travelled
to the town of Ghat in the South of Libya, for a meeting
with the family, which was arranged by local Islamic
dignitary, in mid-May 2007. The family was apparently under
the impression that the executions had been carried out.
"Upon receiving information from the judicial police that
the three persons were still alive, the head of the family
flew into a rage and abandoned the meeting. The Embassy
officials returned to Tripoli without making any progress.
"In late May 2007, the President, H E Mr John Agyekum Kufuor
visited Libya and raised, among other matters, the plight of
the three nationals with the Libyan Leader who promised to
look into the matter.
"In June 2007, officials of the Embassy made another attempt
to contact the family of the murder victim but the latter
declined a meeting.
"On 29th December 2007 the Ambassador of Ghana took the
opportunity of visit to Ghat to discuss the matter with the
Governor of the Province. The latter however explained that
the case was a difficult one because of the persistent of
the family to modify its position, not even on the instance
of a request emanating from the office of the Libyan Leader.
"On 20th January 2008, the Embassy was notified yet again by
the Libyan authorities that two of the three nationals were
scheduled to be executed by 22nd January 2008. The Embassy
immediately made representations to the Libyan authorities
for a further stay of execution to allow time for
consultations with Government on this development.
"However, without responding to the Embassy's request, the
Libyan authorities proceeded to execute the two nationals by
firing squad, together with three others, including a
Libyan, a Sudanese and an Egyptian.
"In the second case, the national of Ghana and a national of
Gambia were tried and convicted for the murder of national
of Senegal. The intervention by Government in May 2007
secured a stay of execution of this national. The Gambian
was however executed.
"The Embassy of Ghana made representations to the Embassy of
Senegal in Libya on the possibility of clemency from the
family of the deceased. Even though the Embassy of Senegal
was unable to locate the family of the deceased national, it
took upon itself to offer clemency to the Ghanaian national.
"This decision was duly conveyed to the Libyan authorities
but regrettably, the latter failed to take this into
consideration and proceeded to carry out the executions,
which include the third person from the previous case on the
16th February 2008.
"The bodies of all four nationals have since been deposited
at a mortuary on the Benghazi Central Hospital and the
autopsy is in the process of formally notifying the families
in Ghana."
GNA
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