By Dickson Jere
You see, this debate is still raging in the US. Should outgoing Presidents be allowed to do last minute pardons?
On January 20, 2001, President Bill Clinton, on his last day in office, he pardoned his multimillionaire friend Marc Richie who had been convicted to a jail sentences of 300 years in US.
Richie is founder of the famous Glencore and a number of trading companies in the world. He was found guilty of racketeering, fraud, tax evasion and breaking the US embargo on Iran. He never returned to the US to serve time in jail until President Clinton did the honours…
President Edgar Lungu has just ignited this debate in Zambia by pardoning some of the prominent people, among others, who were serving jail.
Should the powers of outgoing President be limited by law?
Food for thoughts…