They are not members of Delta Force - Lawyer tells court
Counsel for the eight accused persons said to have aided the escape of 13 members of the Delta Force from lawful custody have told a Kumasi Circuit Court that the accused persons have nothing to do with last Thursday’s incident.
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Mr Gary Nimako, who led a team of six lawyers to represent the accused persons in court on Monday morning said they were not members of the Delta Force vigilante group which has links to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He said the eight were nowhere near the KMA Circuit Court on the day the incident happened and were not arrested at the court premises but were picked up at Fante New Town which is far away from the KMA Circuit Court where the alleged incident took place.
It was his case that the accused persons can therefore not be held liable for the offence levelled against them.
The eight were arraigned Monday morning on charges of disturbing a court session, resisting arrest and rescuing persons in lawful custody, Graphic Online's Donald Ato Dapatem reported.
They all pleaded not guilty.
Mr Nimako said the media had blown the case of the accused persons out of proportion and that he will subsequently prove the innocence of the accused persons in court.
He applied for bail but the court refused and remanded them in prison custody until Tuesday, April 18, 2017.
Read also: Court remands 8 Delta Force raiders
Background
Thirteen members of the Delta Force vigilante group had been arraigned for forcibly throwing the Ashanti Regional National Security Liaison Officer out of office last month. Their argument was that they did not know him and would rather prefer that the President appoints someone who they can relate with.
Shortly after the presiding judge, Mrs Mary Nsenkyire, had remanded them into prison custody to reappear on April 20, 2017, last Thursday, a group of their supporters ‘invaded’ the court and in the ensuing melee, the 13 left the courtroom and joined those outside to leave the court premises.
The police later arrested the eight and charged them for aiding in the escape of the remand prisoners.
Related: 13 Delta Force jailbreakers turn themselves in
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