Pressure Group, OccupyGhan, has bemoaned what it describes as risible fines imposed as a court sentence on 13 members of pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) vigilante group, Delta Force, for storming the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, and manhandling the regional security coordinator.
“We are shocked at how these matters have been handled, and are even more appalled about the risible fines imposed on the persons found to have engaged in these criminal acts.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”qmcrOwAYMhP9TULU6lpLu4tD87D0X1lc”]“One would have thought that all would have learnt lessons from the Montie 3 incident, when it comes to dealing with the court,” Occupy Ghana said in a statement.
The Asokwa District Court in Kumasi, last Thursday, sentenced 13 Members of the Delta Force GHc1, 800 each for rioting at the premises of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council.
They were also made to sign a bond to be of good behavior for 12 months, after the 5-month legal battle.
But OccupyGhana, which has been vocal on the issue of political vigilantism and political crimes carried out in the country, said it expected a stricter punishment to be meted out to the accused persons.
It said it expected the judiciary to send a strong signal to the 13 accused persons through a more appropriate sentence, but was disappointed that just “meek fines” were imposed on them.
“One would have expected that the judiciary, like it did with the Montie 3, would send a strong message to all, that similar conduct would not be tolerated. Unfortunately, the meek fines imposed can at best be described as a stab in the back of the judiciary by the judiciary itself,” it said.
Delta Force case
The 13 Delta Force members faced charges of conspiracy to assault, for raiding the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and assaulting the Regional Security Coordinator because they were against his appointment.
They were earlier freed by some members of the vigilante group in open court, after the presiding judge remanded the 13 into police custody.
The eight who caused the confusion at the court were arrested, while the 13 fugitives subsequently turned themselves into the police.
The eight were accused of aiding the escape, and the 13 escapees were charged and fined.
But the charges against the court raiders, were eventually dropped under controversial circumstances by the State over a supposed lack of evidence.
The Attorney-General’s Department at the time said it had not sanctioned the state prosecutor in Kumasi to drop the case involving the eight who raided the court.
This angered many Ghanaians who felt the eight persons had been let off the hook after a brazen attack on the Judiciary for political reasons.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana