The Chairman of opposition National Democratic Congress has described as “shambolic and theatrical” the Ȼ2,400 fine handed to each of the 13 members of the vigilante group Delta Force for daring to escape from the custody of the court.
Kofi Portuphy said the court cannot “treat lightly” a grievous offence in which “local terrorists” associated with the governing New Patriotic Party physically attacked the courts.
Addressing a press conference, Wednesday, the NDC leader blamed the president for acts of vandalism and attacks perpetrated by militant groups affiliated to the NPP.
He said the attacks by the Delta Force, Invincible force, are the “latest manifestation of Akufo-Addo’s all die be die mantra.”
He said “the Akufo-Addo presidency is complicit in the violent attacks” which have seen these groups seize cars, offices, toll booths attacked and killed supporters of the NDC.
The country has been held hostage by lawless activities of vigilante groups affiliated to the governing National Democratic Congress.
The groups, especially the Delta Force, became even more popular when they notoriously burst into the offices of the Ashanti Region Security Coordinator and bundled out the president’s appointee.
They claimed George Agyei did not play any role in the victory that brought the NPP to office and so did not deserve to be appointed to occupy that office.
When they were arrested and dragged to court, their colleagues, organised themselves, besieged the courtroom and had them freed.
The 13 who escaped have since returned and were slapped with a fine of 2,400 each for escaping.
The court is however yet to rule on the substantive matter.
But the NDC chairman is not happy with the court ruling. He said the suspects deserve greater and stiffer punishment for their acts of lawlessness.
He said the NPP is “sowing seeds of domestic terrorism” which, if goes unchecked, will harm the country in the future.
“The real danger in not dealing with these groups is that they can easily grow into international terrorist groups like the Bokoharam and ISIS,” he warned.
Loud silence?
The NDC chair fired a gun scatter attack at the clergy, civil society groups and the Ghana Bar Association, accusing them of watching in silence the lawless state in which the country has been plunged.
He wondered why these groups, who were hitherto vociferous in their condemnation of events under the NDC regime, will suddenly go quiet in the face of these lawless attacks.
Even though Civil Society groups, the clergy the GBA have been loud in their criticism of the Delta Force, the NDC chair is not impressed.
“Where was the Peace Council, the Ghana Bar Association when they were seizing toilets, cars?” he charged, hoping the criticisms by these groups during the NDC regime were not “borne out political or ethnic prejudices.”
The NDC chair also accused the president of running a government of deception which the NDC will challenge every step of the way.