The maverick Assin Central Member of Parliament, Mr Kennedy Agyapong, who had earlier defended the riotous activities of the Delta Force, a political vigilante group aligned to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has made a U-turn and condemned the group.
In a disclaimer on Thursday night on Oman FM’s Boiling Point programme, which was monitored by Graphic Online, Mr Agyapong admitted that the action of Delta Force in storming the court on Thursday to free accused persons was “disgraceful”.
Some members of the group stormed the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Circuit Court to free 13 of their colleagues who had been arraigned for forcibly throwing the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator out of office last month.
Graphic Online’s Donald Ato Dapatem and Joseph Kyei-Boateng reported that they ‘invaded’ the court shortly after the presiding judge, Mrs Mary Nsenkyire, had remanded the 13 into prison custody to reappear on April 20, 2017.
Immediately word went out that the 13 had been remanded, some supporters of the accused who were outside the courtroom attempted to find their way into the courtroom but they were prevented from doing so by the police.
In the ensuing melee, the 13 who had been remanded left the courtroom, joined those outside to leave the court premises, claiming that they were going to the NPP Ashanti Regional headquarters.
The four charges preferred against the suspects were conspiracy to commit crime, assault on a public officer, causing unlawful damage and common purpose to prevent a public officer from performing his duty.
Agyapong’s earlier threats
When it first emerged that there were plans to arrest members of the vigilante group who masterminded the attack on the security coordinator, the vociferous Mr Agyapong warned government and Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, the national security minister, not to dare arrest the “boys”.
The Delta Force members had brutally attacked the Ashanti Regional security coordinator, Mr George Agyei, and thrown him out of his office, provoking outrage among members of the public and calls for their arrest.
Mr Agyapong threatened to embark on demonstration if members of the Delta Force, who he said helped the NPP win power, were arrested by law enforcement agencies.
“Anyone should dare and put any of the Delta Force guys on trial. I would personally lead demonstrations against the NPP and Kan Dapaah. Nana Addo didn’t win easily; we fought and these boys were at the war front when they were fighting,” he said.
Condemnation
But speaking Thursday night on Oman FM Mr Agyapong asked the boys to surrender to the police.
He condemned them and said they have “destroyed” the goodwill he initially had for them.
“They have gone overboard, they cannot take the law into their hands, I am not going to support them again,” he said.
“I am appealing to them to surrender and go and do their time on remand in prison custody. I am a truthful person and don’t tolerate nonsense, I’m not going to support them again. This is a jail break which cannot be condoned in the government of Nana Akufo-Addo who is law abiding.”
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