Members of pro-New Patriotic Party vigilante group, Delta Force, claim they vandalized the Kumasi circuit court on Thursday, because they were deceived into believing that their members who were arraigned would be discharged.
According to a member of the group, Ernest Appiah Dankwa, they felt betrayed when their members were remanded into police custody.
Speaking on Kumasi-based Silver FM on Friday, Appiah Dankwa said: “our leaders urged us to go to the court because they’ve sorted the case out already.”
“We thought that the issue had already been resolved at the court. Our leaders told us that, our executives were already at the court dealing with the case; but little did we know that our people will be remanded on the day. So we argued that if that be the case, then, all of us should be arrested because we have over 1,000 members in the Delta Force, but not all of us went to the court,” he added.
He further lamented that, the Delta Force worked hard for the governing NPP to come into office, after being in opposition for eight years, hence it was wrong for the government to ignore their calls.
“…We worked for the party [NPP] to come into office…the boys stood up and fought to bring the party into office, places we were not supposed to go we went, and for eight years we left our work and laid down our lives for the party only for you Kan Dapaah, National Security Minister, to claim that you don’t have anything to do with us, and that we should tender in our certificates.”
“In 2008, when the party went into opposition, you claimed that you are done with politics. So who should suffer for the party to come into power for you to get a position and claim that you only work with verified certificates. So we have decided that Delta Force, if that is how they will deal with us, we will all cross carpet and join the NDC, and we shall see what will happen in 2020,” Appiah Dankwa added.
Background
Members of the Delta Force stormed a Kumasi Circuit court on Thursday, and vandalized some court properties as well as freeing 13 of their members, who were facing trial for allegedly harassing the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, George Adjei.
The 13 escaped after some members of the vigilante group monitoring the court proceedings, sparked confusion during the hearing.
Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Police command in statement revealed that the fugitives have reported themselves to Police and are currently in custody.
Charged for causing disturbances
The 13 Delta Force members were facing charges for causing disturbances at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council after the group’s raiding of the Regional Coordinating Council on March 24, 2017, where they were alleged to have assaulted the newly appointed Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, George Adjei.
The judge had ruled that the 13 be remanded to reappear before the court on the 20th of April, 2017 after charges of conspiracy to assault a public officer and causing unlawful damage.
Following the confusion at the court, the Ashanti Regional Police Command also arrested eight members of the group who attacked the court.