POLICE DECLARE WAR AGAINST VIGILANTISM

The Police Administration has described as unfortunate, reprehensible and unGhanaian an invasion of a Kumasi Circuit Court last Thursday by some people linked to Delta Force, a political vigilante group in the Ashanti region, during which 13 members of the group who were standing trial for a similar criminal act at the Ashanti regional Coordinating Council were aided to flee from lawful custody. 

The Police have subsequently condemned the act in no uncertain terms and also declared war on all forms of vigilantism in the country. 

Addressing the media in Kumasi this morning, Sat. April 8,  for the first time since the incident took place, the Inspector General of Police, David Asante Appiatu, described the invasion of the Court also as an act of criminality that will not go unpunished.

Last Thursday, 13 persons believed to be active members of the Delta Force, a political vigilante group, were standing trial at the KMA Circuit Court in Kumasi for allegedly attacking and forcibly evicting the Ashanti Regional Security Liaison Officer, Mr. George Adjei, from his office in what they say was their way of protesting his appointment. 

During the trail, the Presiding Judge, Madam Mary Nsenkyire, refused a bail application by Counsel of the accused persons and subsequently remanded them into Prison custody to appear again before the same court on the 20^th of this month. 

Suddenly, a group of men also suspected to be members of the Delta Force invaded the Court and allegedly aided the accused persons to flee from the Court through the backdoor, the preserve of the Judge.

 The Ashanti regional Police Command subsequently asked the accused to surrender or be pursued by the Police. 

Later on all the 13 accused persons turned themselves in to the Police while eight of those who aided the escape were also arrested. 

While the 13 are in prison custody, the eight are in Police custody pending investigation into the circumstances of the Court invasion and escape.

 Since then, various civil society groups and individuals have totally condemned the incident. 

The visit of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. David Asante Apeatu to the Ashanti region, particularly Kumasi where the incident occurred to learn at first hand, circumstances surrounding the matter.

 He was accompanied by the Director CoP Christian Tetter Yuhonu, the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department, DCoP Bright Oduro and some other senior policemen. 

Mr. Asante Apeatu said the Police’ investigation will aim also to fish out all other persons who are connected to activities of the group. According to him therefore, the Police will prefer additional charges against the 13 accused persons for escaping or permitting themselves to be rescued from lawful custody under the Criminal Offences Act, Act 29 of 1969. 

Similarly, eight other persons arrested for allegedly besieging and interfering with the work of the Court resulting in the accused persons escaping will be charged with the offence of disturbance of Court, resisting arrest as well as other appropriate charges after an ongoing investigation into the matter. 

He said the incident has given the Police administration an opportunity to review some of its operations to suit challenges of the time. 

The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCoP Ken Yeboah, noted that the Regional Security Liaison Officer flouted an earlier warning to him to stay away from office on the 24^th of last month after he had been alerted to an intelligence report. 

According to DCoP Ken Yeboah, the Police Command had positioned itself for the invasion at the Regional Coordinating Council ahead of the attack but the personnel detailed to the RCC were outnumbered.

 He noted that all the 13 escapee accused persons who surrendered to the Police after the Court melee together with the eight others connected to the invasion are in lawful custody.