Delta force saga: Court ruling lenient -Okudzeto

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has described the punishment issued by a Kumasi Circuit Court to the 13 Delta Force members for escaping from police custody as lenient.

In an interview on Asempa FM on Tuesday [April 11] the MP said the 13 members should have been given a harsh sanction that would have served as a deterrent to others.

Read also:Court fines and remands Delta Force escapees

“If you look at what Delta Force and what their accomplices did, it has never happened. I believe like most Ghanaians do, the verdict is lenient.”

According to him “clearly this is just a slap on the wrist. They can easily come up with the money (fine) and not feel it. It is peanuts to them…when they were in lawful custody and police were in control of the security of the court precincts and they were able to break through and intimidated the police, lady judge and escaped, we were expecting that the punishment would have been severe.”

“But the way things have gone, we know that their lawyer argued but our image as a country has been affected because of this lawless act, they have brought to Ghana, gross embarrassment internationally.” He lamented.

Each member of the 13 Delta Force vigilante group who appeared before the Kumasi Circuit court were been fined an amount of GHC.2,400 for escaping from lawful custody.