Order re-arrest, retrial of Delta 8 - Minority to Akufo-Addo

The Minority in Parliament has urged President Nana Akufo-Addo to immediately order the re-arrest and prosecution of the eight members of pro-NPP vigilante group Delta Force who were on Wednesday 17 May acquitted and discharged by the court on the advice of Attorney General and Minister of Justice Gloria Akuffo.

At a press conference hurriedly organised by the Minority shortly after the court freed the eight accused persons who stormed a court in Kumasi to aid 13 of their members standing trial to flee, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu accused the AG of capriciously using her power of nolle prosequi on grounds that there was lack of evidence against the eight.

The Minority said they “find it very bizarre that the AG, Ms Gloria Akuffo, who assured the entire citizens of her commitment to fairness and strict adherence to ethical principles will claim that in doing this and exercising her constitutional discretion on grounds that there was lack of evidence.

Even on Facebook, even on Twitter and those of you who do social media, some evidence is available and some evidence can be made available and some evidence can be found so we are encouraging them to gather good enough evidence.”

In their estimation, “to say that they are proceeding on nolle prosequi in want of evidence can only be begging the issue and satisfying partisan considerations and that concerns us as a Minority.

“We demand, therefore, that the cancerous discretion that has just been exercised will be reversed immediately and the accused re-arrested and re-arraigned before court. We do so demand that justice must be done and justice must be secured and justice must be seen being done,” Mr Iddrisu added.

According to him, the President must demonstrate his respect for the rule of law by causing the re-arrest and retrial of the eight.

“The Minority is demanding that they re-arrest the culprits, serve the interest of justice, demonstrate to the people of Ghana that he the president means well for the rule of law and means well for the independence and respect of the judiciary as an organ of state,” he noted.