Judges and magistrates in the country have indicated they fear for their lives following the attacks on a Kumasi Circuit Court by members of the Delta Force, a private security outfit within the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Thursday April 6.
At a press conference organised by the Association of Magistrate and Judges, Justice Victor Ofoe, its president, condemned the attack and called on the authorities, particularly the police service, to arrest the suspects and bring normalcy to the country and its judicial system.
He said such acts were a threat to and an intimidation of members of the judiciary, a situation which makes all judges in the country unsafe.
He was reacting to Thursday’s development involving 13 Delta Force members who escaped from police custody with the help of fellow Delta Force colleagues who had thronged the hearing at a Kumasi Circuit Court.
The 13, who were remanded in prison custody and billed to reappear on 20 April, were whisked away through the backdoor of the judge’s chamber by their supporters.
The suspects were standing trial for assaulting the Regional Security Coordinator after his appointments indicating that he was not their preferred candidate.
All 13 accused persons have turned themselves in to the police.
Commenting on the issue, Justice Ofoe said: “We call on the authorities to, as a matter of urgency, particularly the police, to arrest and bring to normalcy the situation for peace-loving Ghanaians to go about their lawful duties. Such acts are a threat and intimidation of the members of the judiciary. It should be most gratifying for us, and of course all Ghanaians, that all involved will be apprehended and dealt with according to law.
“To our members, particularly in Kumasi where the incident occurred, we call upon you to stay calm whilst an immediate solution is found to the impasse. We assure you that we are in discussions with the leadership of the Judicial Service towards providing maximum security to all the courts. As earlier directed, all members who have reason to feel threatened should, through the headship of the regional administration of the service, report to the regional police commander for appropriate steps to be taken.”
“We call on the government, particularly the police hierarchy, as a matter of urgency, to take all necessary steps to allay the worries, fears and anxieties of all judges and magistrates in the region. We would, with all deference, strongly advise the police in future not to fail in their threat assessment of cases that come before the courts. Every court should be considered a flashpoint, a point that is worth the constant eye of the security agencies since criminal trials have the potential of emitting violence.”
Source: AccraFM.com
