Delta Force - 8 Remanded for aiding 13 Delta Force members ecape

Amid tight security, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Circuit Court yesterday remanded in prison custody eight members of the vigilante group, Delta Force who allegedly aided the escape of 13 of their members from lawful custody last Thursday.

They all pleaded not guilty to charges of disturbing court, resisting arrest and rescuing persons under lawful custody.

They are to reappear on April 18, 2017.

The eight were arrested last Thursday for their alleged role in aiding 13 members of the Delta Force to escape from lawful custody at the KMA Circuit Court, presided over by Mrs Mary Nsenkyire.

Counsel

In its application for bail for the accused persons, a team of six lawyers, led by Mr Larry Nimako, said the eight were not members of the Delta Force and were also nowhere near the KMA Circuit Court when the 13 were said to have escaped from lawful custody.

Mr Nimako explained that the eight did not have any hand in what occurred at the court, saying they were arrested at Fante Newtown, a couple of kilometres away from the KMA Circuit Court, and pleaded with the court to “use its discretion and grant them bail”.

Prosecutor

Prosecuting, ACP Mr Asomadu Okyere Darko said the eight, along with other persons, were at the KMA Circuit Court on April 6, 2017 and went on the rampage immediately word went round that the 13 had been remanded in custody.

He said the eight, together with their accomplices now at large, aided the 13 to escape lawful custody and were arrested on the same day.

When the presiding judge asked the prosecutor for his comment before her ruling, the prosecutor said he had no comment to make.

Ruling on the bail application, the judge, Mrs Patricia Amponsah, said: “I am unable to exercise my discretion in favour of the accused persons” and went ahead to remand them in prison custody till April 18, 2017.

Security

There was heavy security presence at the court complex, apparently to prevent the recurrence of the April 6, 2017 incident, during which the five policemen at the court were overwhelmed by the large number of supporters of the 13 members of the Delta Force allegedly to set the suspects free.

The security men, comprising members of the Police SWAT Team and plain-clothes policemen, all armed, as well as a huge armoured personnel carrier, were positioned at strategic places at the entrance leading to the court complex.

Relatives

Some relatives of the  accused persons, mostly women, were seen weeping outside the courtroom when word got to them that their relatives had been remanded in prison custody.