The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed its disgust at the freeing of eight members of New Patriotic Party (NPP) vigilante group, Delta Force.
According to Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu who addressed the news conference said the decision by the Attorney General’s Department to free the suspects amounts to a “total disrespect to the judiciary.
The eight members of the NPP militia group, Delta Force, standing trial for assaulting a judge and disrupting court processes were discharged Wednesday following the prosecution’s inability to provide evidence.
The Kumasi Circuit Court presided over by Justice Patricia Amponsah discharged the suspects, Wednesday, for lack of evidence. But Haruna Iddrisu expressed shock at the shoddy work done by the Attorney Generals Department. He said the decision by prosecution to enter a nolle prosequi in the infamous Delta Force court invasion scandal is bias, and capricious.
Haruna Iddrisu indicated that, the prosecution could have made use of video footage that has been circulating on social media following the attack.
The Minority leader noted that, given the development, it was obvious from the Court’s decision, the Attorney-General, Gloria Akuffo and the President Akufo-Addo were not interested in the continuation of the matter.
Haruna Iddrisu is, therefore, calling for a reversal of the “cancerous discretion” and subsequent arrest of the eight accused persons.
Below is the full statement
PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE MINORITY CAUCUS OF PARLIAMENT READ BY MINORITY LEADER HON. HARUNA IDDRISU ON THE CANCEROUS EXERCISE OF DISCRETION BY THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF GHANA IN THE DELTA FORCE SAGA
The attention of the Minority Caucus in Parliament has been drawn to a very bizarre legal development in the country, which at best can be described as a slap in the face of the administration of justice, the rule of law and the judiciary in particular in this Country. I am referring to the decision of the Hon. Attorney-General to curtail the trial of the infamous Delta Force members who stormed a session of the Kumasi Circuit Court and aided the escape of 13 of their colleagues who were standing trial, by entering a Nolle Prosequi – “Refuse to Pursue.”
We refer to the action by the Hon. Attorney-General as bizarre because this is a Government that claims to be adherents of the Rule of Law.
This is a travesty of justice and a lack of respect for the Judiciary.
The Executive has a duty to uphold the tenets of the Constitution and in particular demonstrate in conduct and action its respect for the other arms of Government, particularly the Judiciary. Justice delivery will suffer a downward spiral with this uninformed action.
The decision by the Hon. Attorney-General is a confirmation of the claim by leading Members of the NPP at the time of the lawless action by the lawless Delta Forces that the culprits will be set free.
We are of the view that the Government is pandering to partisan pressures to the detriment of justice and to upholding the independence of the Judiciary.
Article 296(a) & (b) of the 1992 Constitution circumscribes the exercise of discretion as follows:
“Where in this Constitution or in any other law discretionary power is vested in any person or authority –
a) that discretionary power shall be deemed to imply a duty to be fair and candid;
b) the exercise of the discretionary power shall not be arbitrary, capricious or biased either by resentment, prejudice or personal dislike and shall be in accordance with due process of law”
We consider the entry of the Nolle Prosequi as a gross abuse of discretion simpliciter and we call on the President H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to demonstrate leadership and not be led by the various lawless forces within his party.
We find it very bizarre that the Hon. Attorney-General, Ms Gloria Akufo, who assured the entire citizenry of her commitment to fairness and strict adherence to ethical principles at her vetting not too long ago, will claim that she exercised the said constitutional discretion on grounds merely that there was a lack of evidence to prosecute the case in question when indeed, the Siting Judge, Court Clerks, Court Bailiffs, Court Warrant Officers (CWOs), 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.
In these circumstances, we are clear in our minds that the decision by the newly appointed AG to exercise her discretion to file a Nolle Prosequi in this matter is an abuse of discretion, it is capricious, it is an abuse of due process and it is not candid. It was obviously exercised for narrow political expediency.
Our expectations were rather these hoodlums would have been duly cited for Contempt of Court by now and successfully prosecuted.
We demand therefore that this cancerous exercise of discretion be reversed immediately and the accused re-arraigned before court without any further hesitation.
Thank you for your attention and may God bless Ghana.
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Aside all jokes if there is a legal Brian among these guys then excuse me to say that they are disgrace to the GBA they have to be sanction. All is because they don't read or they do the reading but they don't understand. I think they should stop these Childish attitudes and let rebuild the nation that they have collapse together. They should spend these times rather to define how best the monies that some of them has wasted and how they can refund them because I will appeal to Gov't to retrieve those monies. Thanks viewers and God bless Ghana and NPP Gov't
Haruna Iddrisu, when you and your colleagues trooped like s.He.e.P. to sign the petition to release the evil Montie 3 didn't you see your action at the time as bizarre?
VERY SOON THESE NDC HYPOCRITES HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT THEIR INCOMPETENT PRESIDENT HUMILIATED THE JUDICIARY BY FREEING THE IGNOMINOUS MONTIE 3!!!! EVEN MINISTERS OF STATE SIGNED PETITION TO ENCOURAGE YOUR TOOLEGE PRESIDENT TO FREE THOSE BADLY-BROUGHT-UP MISCREANTS AND TRULY OTOOLEGE MAHAMA FREED THEM!!!! JUST WATCH YOUR ***barred word*** BEFORE YOU JUMP FIRE!!! FROM NOW ON SOME OF US WILL RETURN ALL YOUR BLAMK BULLETS WITH LIVE BAZOOKA FIRE!!!! IDRRISSU, TAAAAAAKE NOTE THAT WE ARE NOT AFRAID OP YOUR SKIN-PAIN AND DISRUPTIVE NUISANCE!!! YOU HAVENT SEEN ANYTHING YET!! AS FOR ENGLISH SOME US CAN WRITE AND SPEAAK BETTER THAN YOU AND WE CAN CALL PRESS CONFERENCES TO MAKE YOU AND YOUR GOOD-FOR-NOTHING GANG LOOK SMALL AND ***barred word***!!!! WE ARE DARING YOU TO BRING IT ON!!!! FFUCCKING STTUUPID MPS!!!!
Just look at this.This is the ape who wants to be president.I am imploring the NPP to be steadfast and resolute and concentrate on their positive agenda to develop this nation, because we are far behind the status of a modern nation.They should not allow themselves to be distracted by the n0ns3nsical effusions of these wretches in the NDC.If the Muntie trio had been NPP members would Mahama have sprung them from jail?Please let us concentrate on important things ,the economy, health,shelter,quality education.These are the things that will make us prosper.It's obvious the NDC does not want anything positive to happen so they can worm their way back to power.Can you imagine what will happen if John Mahama the certified kleptomaniac comes back as president?People wise up STOP THE NDC.
who just came here to read comments?
.............freeing monrie 3 is a grace to the judiciary abi, Haruna Iddrisu i guess u ve been infected wit kpokpogbligbli syndrome. That's y i always say ndc was built on propaganda n they shall forever live in the kingdom of propagandist.
Hmm...Ghana, yesterday it was NDC , today , its NPP.. When are we going to get unquestionable judgments..? If you're not in any of these two parties then you're out..nothing favours you..WHY?
That's why I call them evils and that's why they are cursed. Ndc are like a parent who doesn't want to talk about the bad deeds of their children but quick to accuse others and anyone with that character has his/kids ending up their lives in misery some become addicts and others find life tough and that is the ndc and anyone others want him/her to crucify his children end up having good kids with brighter future. Ndc will be where it is never attractive to anyone apart from those in that party and it will be hard for them to come to power even those leading them on their press conferences are not attractive to the people so how are the good people if Ghana going to listen to you,they should know when they are talking they are not talking to only their constituencies but the whole if Ghana with different views so if you don't come out with strong issues but petty and political defeat frustration , you should know nobody will take you serious. Ghanaians know who are in the ndc so if ndc talk about violence in another party who will listen to you? Your former president was on stage telling the whole world ndc has black belt in violence,he said ndc come from revolution were people dancing at that time? So ndc should have been the last to talk about the Delta force because the good people of Ghana knows where ndc is coming from so who will take you serious? Ghanaians know you are bitter and frustrated of your defeat so talking anyhow. Ghanaians are just not interested in the ndc because it is not an attractive party, ndc has too many uncultured and ***barred word*** members.
The same people who were attacking the judiciary for being to hard on some criminals and forcefully released them, are today crying fowl when the same judiciary decides to release others
The issue is that Kantanka must consider making "PRODUCTION" equipment such as plants, equipment and tools, such as lifting, drilling, punching, moving equipment, etc that can be USED supply and equip local factories so that they can produce the consumer items that we buy. This is how we can have home-grown production capabilities to be able to reduce unemployment. Instead of making cars one by one, Kantanka will be better of MAKING THE TOOLS and EQUIPMENT for making the ASSEMBLY LINES for these cars. He can then go on to make assembly plants for tractors, buses, trotros, railway coaches, construction equipment, road-making equipment, farm processing equipment, food processing equipment etc. He can get support from local banks, government, private entities, agro and industrial co-operatives etc to assemble plants all over Ghana and provide sustainable industrial capabilities.