16 officials from the office of the president who were sentenced to life in prison. File Photo

Relatives of the 16 former presidential officials sentenced to life in prison over corruption charges have appealed to the President to pardon the convicts and set them free.

They were charged and convicted of corruption charges related to the loss of more than 14 million US dollars and another 30 million pounds in the office of the President.

In April, the Court of Appeal overruled the life sentences handed to all the convicts and order another trial.
But the relatives of the convicts want the president to pardon them.

In a joint petition, the relatives of the convicts are appealing to the president to forgive and release the prisoners.

They say some of the convicts are ill and need proper medication, while others have left behind the responsibilities of their families.

The petitioners say the families of the convicts have broken up because some of their spouses have abandoned their families and married other men.

John Awuoi Cuit is the father of the former official in the presidents’ office, John Agou. He explains to Eye Radio the reason behind their appeal.

“What made our appeal to the president was to confirm what the court of appeal has done to our people. The other concern is that some of them are badly sick and if they remain in the prison without treatment some of them may pass away,” Mr. Awuoi said.

Another relative is Magdalena Awur Ajak, whose daughter Anyieth Chaat Paul was convicted of similar charges.

Ms. Awur urges the president to forgive and release her daughter as part of his call for the national dialogue.

“The call he made for the national dialogue, I am among those who would tell the president forgive me and my people and my daughter to go to her child and raise the child the way we the parents have raised her, the issue of my child has really affected me so much,” Ms. Awur said.

On his part, the Presidential press secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny says President Salva Kiir cannot act over an appeal to pardon former officials convicted of corruption because their case is still in court.

The 16 were convicted along with four Kenyans. They were sentenced to life in prison in June last year.