Atubiga justifies release of Delta 8

Despite “massive” public outcry against the discharge of the eight Delta Force members by the Kumasi Circuit Court, Presidential hopeful, Stephen Atubiga says he is “very excited” about the news of their release.

Stephen Atubiga, who has declared his intention to contest in the presidential primaries of the opposition NDC, says Ghana is “reaping what it sowed” by voting for the Nana Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) which is “heavily associated with violence.”

The eight members of Delta Force were standing trial for storming the court premises earlier this year to free 13 of their members who were charged with conspiracy to assault in the case where they vandalized property at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and assaulted the Regional Security Coordinator because they were against his appointment.

The eight were freed after the Principal State Attorney in the case, Marie Louise-Simmons, determined that the charges against the suspects be dropped because of lack of evidence.

The news of their release has shocked many including the Minority in Parliament, the Ghana Bar Association, as well as several security experts who have described the decision of the court as justification of impunity.

However, Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, in a statement said the Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo, is not aware of the decision by the prosecutor to discontinue the case.

As a result, the Attorney General’s department “is investigating circumstances under which a principal State Attorney in Kumasi decided without recourse to advice from higher authority on a matter of high public interest of this nature to drop charges against persons arrested in connection with disturbances in a Kumasi Magistrate’s court in April this year.” the statement added.

“To me politics is business; some will bring their resources, people, wisdom, good leadership etc together and you win an election and when you win, you have to remember those who brought you to power.

“I support the Invisible Forces, the Delta Force; they should fight for what is due them because they worked and brought the NPP to power,” Stephen Atubiga said on Montie FM.

It would be recalled that Stephen Atubiga served three days jail term for criminal contempt during the hearing of the 2012 presidential Election Petition.