Former President Ramotar, in his last days in office, granted a presidential pardon to a Ravindra Deo who had been convicted of the particularly gruesome murder of a little child. The then President chose not to offer any explanation for that exercise of his exclusive power and this resulted in many attributing to him an ulterior and improper motive for his action. While the pardon became public knowledge, the process was at best opaque and the President’s action drew widespread condemnation for what was perceived as a misuse of a reserve power.
The press has reported that President Granger also exercised his power of presidential pardon shortly after being sworn in. The names, offences and sentences of, reportedly sixty convicted persons who were pardoned and released from prison have not been publicised. As their convictions would have been a matter of public record, it is reasonable to expect
