13 Delta Force jail breakers turn themselves in

The thirteen Delta Force jail breakers have turned themselves in, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ken Yeboah has confirmed.

In a statement issued and signed by the Police Commander on Friday morning, he said all 13 of them are currently in police custody.

He stated that in the course of the confusion on Thursday, "the presiding judge was not harmed as being speculated by some media and that she was under police protection."

In a radio interview on Accra based Okay FM Friday morning, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi said the accused persons turned themselves in on Thursday shortly after their other colleagues aided them to escape.

He defended the riotous activities of the Delta Force, a political vigilante group aligned to the NPP and said they fled because they were scared for their lives.

He said they were “very good boys” who would defend their case in court.

A bench warrant had been issued for their arrest. They have been accused of forcibly throwing out the newly appointed Ashanti Regional National Security Liaison Officer from his office on the grounds that they oppose his appointment.

Early on, eight persons thought to have aided the escape of the 13 remanded by a Kumasi Circuit court on Thursday were arrested.

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 National Security Liaison Officer 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.

Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh

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