Court 'pardons' 13 Delta Force escapees but…

The Kumasi Circuit Court Four, presided over by John Ekwow Mensah has pardoned the 13 members of the Delta Force for their actions at the KMA Circuit Court on April 6 2017. The accused persons who were answering charges on conspiracy, assault on public officer, causing unlawful damages and rioting escaped from the court after the judge Mary Senkyere had remanded them into prison custody. Allegedly aided by their supporters, the 13 accused persons defied the court ruling and unlawfully escaped through the back door reserved only for judges. During today’s hearing at the Kumasi Circuit Court Four, lawyer of the accused persons Garry Nimako prayed the court to pardon them on the charge of resisting arrest since they were first time offenders and oblivious to the consequence. His plea convinced the presiding judge who then pardoned them and therefore mitigated their punishment on grounds that they showed remorse and also voluntarily handing themselves to the police. They were therefore convicted to a fine of 200 penalty units each (GHc2,400) for escaping and a bond to be of good behaviour within six months. Failure to do so will lead them serving a jail term of three years. However, the substantive case which has to do with the attack on the Ashanti regional security coordinator will resume on 20th April 2017. They will continue to remain on remand till the set hearing date. ________________________________________________________________________ Read also: 13 Delta Force gang faces escape charges, 8 others to be tried ________________________________________________________________________ By Evans Nkum |TV3|editors.3news.com