NPP condemns ‘foolish’, 'embarrassing’ Delta Force attack

The Acting National Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, has condemned the attacks of the Delta Force, the vigilante wing of the party in the Ashanti Region, on the judiciary.

“They are not kids, now they’ve taken the step of doing the unthinkable and it is a pity, it has brought embarrassment and it is a bad PR for us. But I don’t think that is the end of the world,” Mr Blay said on Friday, April 7.

He was reacting to Thursday’s development involving 13 Delta Force members who escaped from police custody with the help of fellow Delta Force colleagues who had thronged the hearing at a Kumasi Circuit Court.

The 13, who were remanded into prison custody and billed to reappear on 20 April, were whisked away through the backdoor of the judge’s chamber by their supporters.

The suspects were standing trial for assaulting Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator George Agyei on March 24 after his appointment, indicating that he was not its preferred candidate.

All 13 accused persons have since turned themselves in to the police.

According to Mr Blay, the party had to allow the rule of law to prevail hence the trial of the accused, but they decided to be “foolish”.

“Although they have apologised, of course it doesn’t mean that the party would interfere with police during their investigation, the party didn’t do that. We had to allow the law to take its own course. And allowing the law to take its own course resulted in them being brought before the court. And unfortunately, they were supposed to be remanded. And that was part of the foolish thing that they [Delta Force] did. We condemn it,” he said in an interview with Asempa FM.

He has refuted suggestions by some critics that the action of the Delta Force proves the NPP is a violent political party.

“I think it is not very fair for anybody to say so, it is not fair. When about two or three people go against the law or do anything untoward, you don’t come into conclusion that the whole party is involved in wrongdoing. I think that is not proper. A Ghanaian goes abroad to deal in cocaine doesn’t mean that [all] Ghanaians are cocaine dealers. One Ghanaian kills somebody and you say ‘Ghanaians are murderers’.

I think if you say so, you are not being fair to Ghanaians. In the same way we agree that the Delta Force are members of the party, we agree that they’ve supported the party towards our elections dating back from 2000… We all condemn what they did, but it doesn’t mean that the party takes full responsibility for what has happened. They were lawless, and it’s inexcusable,” he added.