The Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery, has discredited claims that the Akufo-Addo government only talks big on political vigilantism but does very little to quell it.<\/p>\n
According to him, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) does not condone such actions.<\/p>\n
Citi News<\/strong> has reported on\u00a018 separate violent attacks<\/strong><\/a><\/span>\u00a0perpetrated by pro-NPP groups since the beginning of the NPP administration, the latest being the forceful locking up of some offices at the Karaga District Assembly by some NPP youth.<\/p>\n [contextly_sidebar id=”34zupdZaIuYhuO4jyUKaxdd3YCwYq7RM”]Many have accused the police of reneging on their\u00a0responsibility\u00a0in dealing with the surge in such cases.<\/p>\n But speaking to Citi News<\/strong>, Mr. Derry said the police in collaboration with the government, are committed to dealing with\u00a0these lawless acts head-on.<\/p>\n “…What I can say with pride is that, we are not condoning any actions,” he added.<\/p>\n Ambrose Dery also defended the paltry GHc1,800 fine<\/strong><\/a><\/span> slapped on each of the 13 members of pro-NPP group, Delta Force, who were hauled before a Kumasi court, after they were captured\u00a0on a video manhandling the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, George Adjei.<\/p>\n We prosecuted Delta Force 13 although they\u2019re NPP \u2013 Dery<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr.\u00a0Dery believes government has exhibited ample commitment towards the fight against political party vigilantism in the country, considering that they did not shield the 13 members of the pro-NPP vigilante group, Invincible Forces, but rather allowed them to go through the court process.<\/p>\n He noted that\u00a0\u201c\u2026Vigilantism is real, and the Akufo-Addo government hasn\u2019t run away from it.”<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Vigilantism is real, and the Akufo-Addo government hasn\u2019t run away from it. This is the government that has taken people that are known as its supporters and sent to court, they went through due process, they were convicted and they were sentenced.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard people say that the sentences are not harsh enough, but let\u2019s put it in context. The law in the kind of offences they were charged with encourages reconciliation and settlements outside. If you put it in that context, we didn\u2019t even allow a settlement of the matter which would have still been within the law. We sent it there, and it\u2019s not our remit. It\u2019s the remit of the judiciary, and the judiciary has taken a decision \u2013 they have been convicted, they have been sentenced\u2026 so we need to go beyond mere criticism to find out what are the legal limitations in sentencing. What are the considerations in sentencing; but what I can say with pride is that, we are not condoning any actions,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n He also called on the public to expose politicians believed to be behind these acts, and further warned the youth to be law abiding.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin A. Allotey & Caleb Kudah\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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