the Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD...

the Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, Akwasi Osei-Adjei, confirmed the execution of four Ghanaians in Libya. Two of them, Kojo Blankson and Samuel Ayi Ayitey, who were convicted for the murder of a Libyan and a Senegalese, respectively, were executed on February 16, 2008. On January 22, 2008, two other Ghanaians - Charles Ansah and Asare Bediako - were executed for their involvement in the murder of the Libyan in question. Mr Osei-Adjei stated that although efforts were made by the government to secure a reprieve for the four Ghanaians, "these proved unsuccessful".
Osei-Adjei further explained that although the embassy subsequently made contact with the family of the deceased Libyan, in accordance with Islamic practice, to explore the possibility of seeking clemency or payment of compensation to reprieve the death sentence, the family insisted that the law should take its course. The Foreign Minister said President Kufuor had managed, on two occasions, to secure a stay of execution when the Ghanaians were scheduled for execution, saying that delayed action for five years. He added that during that period, officials of the Ghanaian Embassy in Libya resumed contacts with the family of the Libyan victim in an effort to get it to reconsider its stance on the execution but to no avail. Osei-Adjei said in June 2007 when President Kufuor visited Libya, he raised the plight of the executed Ghanaians with the Libyan Leader, who promised to look into the matter. He said when the embassy was notified on January 20, 2008 that Charles Ansah and Asare Bediako were scheduled for execution on January 22 it made representations to the Libyan authorities for a further stay of execution to allow time for consultations with the Government of Ghana. Osei-Adjei said without responding to the embassy's request, the Libyan authorities proceeded to execute the two by firing squad.
In the case of Samuel Ayi Ayitey, convicted together with the Gambian for the murder of the Senegalese, Osei-Adjei explained that the Ghanaian Embassy in Libya made a representation to the Senegalese Embassy in Libya to seek clemency from the family of the deceased. Osei-Adjei said even though the Embassy of Senegal was unable to locate the family of the deceased Senegalese, it took it upon itself to offer clemency to the Ghanaian. That decision, according to the minister, was conveyed to the Libyan authorities but regrettably they failed to take that into consideration and went ahead to carry out the executions on February 16, which included Kojo Blankson, the third Ghanaian from the previous case.