GBA condemns 'horrifying' Delta Force court raid

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has condemned Thursday’s raid at a Kumasi Circuit Court by New Patriotic Party (NPP) vigilante group Delta Force.

In a release issued and signed by its executives, the GBA described the situation as sickening and horrifying and called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to re-arrest all the 13 suspects who were freed by the vigilante group in the process.

Thirteen of them who were linked to attack on the Regional Security Coordinator Mr. George Adjei had been arraigned before the court on various charges ranging from conspiracy to assault and assaulting a public officer and causing to unlawful damage

Shortly after the case was called and their pleas taken, the trial Judge, Mary Senkyiri demanded they should be remanded in prison custody until the next adjourned date which is 20th of April, 2017.

Her pronouncement drew uproar in the courtroom and before she could move back into her chamber, more members of the group were called in by some of their colleagues and started destroying property of the court.

In the ensuing melee, the judge who was almost assaulted by the group managed to flee and run into safety before she could be pounced on coupled with the arrival of a police reinforcement team saving the situation.

It would be recalled that some members of the Delta Force on March 24, 2017 stormed the Ashanti regional coordinating council and forcefully demanded the removal of the regional security coordinator.

George Adjei was appointed by the President for the post but according but the groups claim they cannot work with him because he is not from the region.

They broke into Adjei’s office manhandled him and asked him to leave the premises.

Read Full Text of GBA Release Below:

GHANA BAR ASSOCIATION’S STATEMENT ON THE “DELTA FORCE” ATTACK ON THE KUMASI CIRCUIT COURT AND FREEING ITS MEMBERS ON 6TH APRIL 2017

The Ghana Bar Association is shocked and horrified at the news item and video recordings which have gone viral alleging that members of the supposed “Delta Force” have attacked the Circuit court in Kumasi earlier today after the Circuit Court presided over by Her Honour Mary Senkyere had reportedly ordered the thirteen (13) persons who were charged with the offence on conspiracy to commit crime, assault on a public officer, causing unlawful damage and preventing a public officer from doing his lawful duty, to be remanded in custody and re-appear on the 20th day of April, 2017.

The 13 persons who the Circuit Court ordered to be remanded in custody were said to have been taken away by the members of the alleged “Delta Force” in clear disobedience of the Court’s order.

The report further stated that the few police personnel present did their best to protect the Judge whilst the alleged members of the “Delta Force” destroyed some court property.

It is sickening and horrifying to watch the said videos of persons using violence as a means to defy the Court’s orders.

The GBA condemns in no uncertain terms this blatant disregard for the orders of a duly constituted court of law and attack on the Judge in the discharge of her lawful duties. This is an affront to the independence of the Judiciary and an attack on the rule of law.

Such glorification of violence, dastardly acts and threat to our Judiciary cannot be tolerated or allowed under our democratic dispensation. It is totally unacceptable under whatever pretence to disobey orders of the court, attack or threaten to attack the person of the judge thereby endangering the peace of our country.

The GBA notes that any system that allows an individual, group of persons or institutions to disobey orders made by a court of competent jurisdiction with impunity undermines the independence of the judiciary, creates room for anarchy, chaos and lawlessness. This certainly has no place under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

We therefore call on the Inspector-General of Police to immediately re-arrest the 13 persons ordered to be remanded, cause a thorough investigation of the incident to ensure that all persons who played any role whatsoever in the attack on the court are arrested, duly charged and prosecuted.

We also call on the Minister of Interior to as a matter of urgency take steps to ensure the immediate disbandment of the “Delta Force” and all other vigilante groups that have sprung up in our country.

We call on all well meaning Ghanaians to condemn this resort to violence in flagrant disobedience of court orders.

The Bar wishes finally to emphasize that an independent judiciary is the backbone of the rule law.

A judiciary that is protected against all forms of intimidation and interference is the key to securing judicial independence and the freedoms of the citizenry.

We should therefore not, in any circumstance, countenance any attack whatsoever on the courts and the Judiciary as a whole for that matter.

Issued in Accra, this 6th day of April 2017.

Signed

Benson Nutsukpui National President

Justin Amenuvor National Secretary