The Anambra State Government has explained why controversial native doctor, Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki, was released before completing his 11-month prison sentence.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Tochukwu Nweke, SAN, said Nwangwu’s early release followed a plea bargain with the state government, his expression of remorse and the short period remaining on his sentence.
Nwangwu, who had been serving the sentence pursuant to the plea bargain, was released last week by Governor Chukwuma Soludo and subsequently appointed as youth ambassador for the state.
Explaining the decision, Nweke said the circumstances surrounding the native doctor’s case provided grounds for Soludo to exercise his prerogative of mercy.
He said, “Based on the plea bargain between Akwa Okuko and the state government, he was given a lesser sentence by the court.
“The remorse shown by him, the short length of his remaining sentence, among others, presented an opportunity for the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to consider him worthy of prerogative of mercy.
“The governor granted him early release from the Correctional Centre by remitting the remaining unserved portion of his term of imprisonment to also enable him to immediately join the state on the campaign on youth reformation and re-orientation as agreed under the plea bargain agreement.”
According to the Attorney-General, the early release was an indirect benefit of the plea bargain arrangement, which he said could encourage persons facing trial who are guilty of the offences for which they were charged to consider the process.
Nweke explained that plea bargaining could lead to reduced prison terms or non-custodial sentences for convicted persons, depending on the circumstances of individual cases.
He added that such agreements could also provide for restitution or compensation to victims of offences.
The commissioner said Nwangwu’s plea bargain arrangement therefore indirectly paved the way for the governor to consider exercising his prerogative of mercy.
Nweke further disclosed that the Soludo administration was promoting plea bargaining as part of efforts to decongest correctional centres across the state and expand alternatives to custodial sentences.
He revealed that the Ministry of Justice had received about 150 applications since it launched a plea-bargaining campaign two months ago.
The Attorney-General said the applications were currently being considered, stressing that the initiative was aimed at strengthening the use of plea bargaining within Anambra State’s justice system.
