Court fines 13 Delta Force members GH¢23, 400
The Asokwa District Court in Kumasi on Thursday convicted 13 members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) vigilante group known as Delta Force, for conspiracy and rioting and consequently fined each of them GH¢1, 800.
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In default of the fine, each of the convicts will spend 12 months in jail. They were also to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for one year or in default go to jail for 12 months.
The 13 Delta Force members pleaded guilty to the two counts of conspiracy to commit crime to wit, conspiracy and rioting.
They were before the court for vandalising the office of the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinating officer.
Mitigation
The counsel for the convicts, Mr Frederick Kankam Boadu, had earlier pleaded with the court to be lenient with his clients because they were first time and young offenders.
Besides, he said, they did not waste the time of the court and pleaded guilty simplicita to the charges thus, throwing themselves at the mercy of the court.
According to him, the crime for which they were charged, rioting was really not a riot but a demonstration which “is their democratic right”.
He, however, conceded that there was a thin line between rioting and demonstration.
Mr Kankam Boadu further asked the magistrate to insulate the court from the many public commentaries on the issue which was purely a legal matter.
He prayed the court not to impose custodial sentences on his clients as they were young and energetic men who could be productive rather than being incarcerated.
Presiding magistrate
While he disagreed with the counsel that the convicts were young offenders, Mr Korkor Achaw Owusu, the presiding magistrate, however, admitted that the offence was a misdemeanour that did not necessarily merit a custodial sentence.
Again, Mr Owusu said the fact that they did not waste the court’s time also influenced his decision to impose a fine on them.