[ 2017-10-27 ]

Gloria Akuffo, Attorney General

AG must appeal Delta Force ruling – CODEO
The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers
(CODEO), has asked the Attorney General to appeal
against the Delta Force 13 ruling that saw
suspects being fined GHC 1, 800 each.

CODEO believes this will send a clear and a much
stronger signal to all vigilante groups and their
members that such acts will not be tolerated.

“Accordingly, CODEO implores the
Attorney-General to appeal against the Delta Force
13 sentencing for stiffer punishment. This will
send a clear signal to all such groups and their
members that there is no shield under the law if
they perpetuate crimes.”

“CODEO reiterates its earlier call for all
stakeholders, particularly government, political
parties, the security agencies, the media and the
general public, to find credible ways of dealing
with the canker – lest it would escalate and
continue to disturb the country’s peace and
stability,” a statement signed by its National
Coordinator, Albert Arhin said.

Background

It would be recalled that, during the trial, the
13 suspects were freed from open court allegedly
by their colleagues, who were angered by the
decision of the judge at the time to remand them
into police custody.

The 13 suspects later turned themselves in to the
court, and were made to sign a bond of good
behaviour, and fined Ghc2,400 cedis each.

But under rather bizarre circumstances, the eight
persons who raided the court, were freed for lack
of evidence, a development that was widely
condemned, considering the threat that action
posed to the judiciary.

Following these developments, many have described
the fines slapped on the 13 as weak, and a subtle
attempt by the government to ensure that the
culprits who are members of the ruling party do
not spend time in jail.

The 13, who were finally sentenced for the
assault on the Ashanti Regional Security
Coordinator in March 2017, in protest against his
appointment, paid a fine of Ghc1,800 each, and
were made to sign a bond of good behaviour for
twelve months.

This was after their charges were reviewed from
assaulting a public officer and causing unlawful
damage to rioting.

The judgement handed by the court has however been
largely described as lenient.

 Kid gloves treatment 

CODEO in a statement sided with this position,
saying it is “highly disappointed with the kid
gloves treatment that the country’s criminal
justice system has apparently given to the Delta
Force miscreants in the investigation of the
incident and its related prosecution.”

CODEO’s appeal comes in the wake of recent
attacks by some vigilante groups believed to be
affiliated to the NPP.

In the most recent incidents, NPP youth invaded a
police station and freed party communicators who
were in police custody at Karaga in the Nothern
Region.

Also in Tamale, a group of NPP sympathizers
calling themselves Burma Camp Youth, have locked
up the Northern Regional office of the Ghana
School Feeding programme for nearly a week now
with no action from the police there.

Source - citifmonline.com

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