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11.10.2018 NPP

NPP Not Paying Lip Service To Vigilante Fight - National Organiser

By MyJoyOnline
NPP Not Paying Lip Service To Vigilante Fight - National Organiser
11.10.2018 LISTEN

The New Patriotic Party has rejected assertions it is paying lip service to the fight against vigilantism in Ghana.

National Organiser of the party, Sammy Awuku says the claim by the National Commission for Civic Education against the governing party is not supported by the facts.

Citing examples in the past, Mr Awuku said the Delta Force case in which vigilante members of the party attacked the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator was successfully prosecuted with members found guilty and slapped with fines.

He also cited cases in Sisalla and Karaga in which party members were arrested and prosecuted.

“We have never had a situation where party members are put behind bars for offences like these” he noted, adding, under the NPP, leading members of the party who are believed to have fallen foul of the law have been dealt with.

His comments come at a time when two members of the Delta Force have been denied bail by a circuit court over charges of conspiracy to commit crime and rioting.

Paul Atta Onyinah, 49, and Richard Yaw Brefo, 51, were picked up at Tafo Pankrono in the Ashanti Region after they led a Delta Force group to scuttle a meeting between the MP for Tafo Dr Anthony Akoto Osei and some constituency members of the NPP.

They accused the MP of reneging on the promises he made to them during the campaign. According to the leader of the group, they were promised jobs and an opportunity to live comfortable lives but that is far from they are experiencing.

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Delta Force members last year attacked a judge and freed suspects being tried

On Sunday whilst the meeting was going, they besieged the premises, scuttled the meeting, destroyed chairs and threatened the MP as well as the executives.

The MP who is also the Minister in charge of monitoring and evaluation had to flee for his dear life.

The two suspects were later arrested. When they were hauled before the court, the Circuit Court judge remanded the suspects for two weeks to reappear before the court.

Lawyer for the accused persons, William Kusi, is unimpressed with the decision by the court.

He argued the two were standing trial for rioting and damaging plastic chairs worth 1,000.00, charges which, even if they were found guilty, will not be committed for custodial sentences.

He wondered why the judge will remand them for two weeks. Even though he respected the decision of the court, he disagreed with it.

When Joy News’ Evans Mensah asked if he was also unhappy with the decision by the court, Sammy Awuku said the law lied in the bosom of the judge if she had decided, so be it.

He condemned the action by the vigilante group and cautioned party members to use internal party structures to resolve.

He, however, vehemently disagreed with the assertion by the NCCE that the party is not doing enough to fight vigilantism.

He also subtly accused the media of blowing the attack out of proportion.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|NG

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