The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) David Asante-Apeatu to re-arrest the 13 accused persons who were freed from court by some members of pro-NPP vigilante group, Delta Force earlier today.
The GBA condemned the attacks by the Delta Force at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Circuit Court earlier today.
The Association, in a statement, expressed utter shock at the group's action which it described as "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".
The GBA stressed that the vigilante's action was "unacceptable", endangers the country's peace and "creates room for anarchy, chaos and lawlessness" which is alien to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
"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", the statement further read.
Full statement 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
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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It's so sad we almost ended up demanding for the bloods of the Montie 3 for just making empty threats during an electioneering year (nobody condones their behaviour. We all knew and still know Ghanaians have loud mouths...we talk loosely). What we did was to seek the incarceration of these 3 weaklings who according to the BNI had no clue about how to even carry out their threats. Now we have a group created by the sitting government visiting mayhem to the security forces and the judiciary and what is the GBA asking for? The beat one of you, and you can't hit the street to demand the impeachment of the President whom they owe allegiance to? Indeed God is not dead...may be the God of former President John Mahama and the NDC is now visiting vengeance on the NPP government for their nefarious agenda to destablize the country had the NDC won the 2016 Election. Please God help us innocent Ghanaians.
GBA my foot.when mercenaries were brought in to train these animals and the trainers were picked up by the BNI, what did the GBA say?and not until this incident took place in the court premises, the GBA was conspicuously missing in action
THE ASHANTI ANIMALISTIC BEHAVIOUR
This is the exact group of thugs the NPP was alleged to have been creating and they were running around denying it. The President is behind all of these and yet he runs around pretending he has no clue. How could these thugs vandalise a constitutionally mandated authority like the court if they have no official backing. Now that you have power to rule you are just distracting people and disturbing institutions. Fours years is not very far.
Dear GBA, When these Hooligans were misbehaving before the elections nobody bothered to bring them to order. I am sure they are working to a brief. They have worked to previous briefs against individuals in the party like Kwabena Agyepong and Paul Afoko and Sammy Crabbe. Now those who sponsored them cannot stop them.
In fact I hv started loosing confidence in Npp and getting angry with the party. If we re to vote today I wud definitely vote for Ndc. are they the only ones who voted for npp?