Discontinuation of Delta 8 case "slap on the face of rule of law" – Minority

The Minority in Parliament has suggested that the decision of the Attorney-General to discontinue a case involving 8 members of pro-NPP vigilante group, Delta Force, is unreasonable and lacks merit.

According to them, the AG’s decision isn’t based on law and sidesteps the constitutional provisions of article 296 (A) & (B) which stipulates that the AG must be fair in all regards.

The minority expressed their obvious disapproval in a press conference organised in parliament a few hours after news broke that the state had dropped charges against the group.

“We refer to the action by the Hon. Attorney-General as bizarre because this is a government that claims to be adherence to the Rule of Law. This is a travesty of justice and a lack of respect for the judiciary.

Miss Gloria Akuffo, who assured the entire citizenry of her commitment to fairness and strict adherence to ethical principles, will claim that she exercised the said constitutional discretion on grounds merely because there was a lack of evidence to prosecute the case in question when indeed the sitting judge, court clerks, journalists as well as notable public figures in whose presence the said court was physically attacked and the accused persons freed, are alive and available to be interviewed and evidence taken from same,” the Minority said at the press conference.

The eight were accused of aiding the escape from lawful custody, some 13 Delta Force members who were standing trial at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Circuit Court for assaulting Ashanti regional security coordinator George Agyei.

When the case was called Wednesday morning, the prosecution told the court that the Attorney General has advised the police to drop the charges against the eight accused persons.

This was because the AG after examining the docket concluded that there was no evidence to prosecute the case.

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who addressed the press was livid that the Attorney General by this act had gone against the assurance she gave the nation to be fair to all during the meeting.

He said even though it was an unfortunate act, it came to the minority as no surprise since the president has done little to curb the recurrence of lawlessness in the country.

According to Mr Iddrisu, government has succumbed to partisan pressure at the cost of justice delivery in the country.